Why is language well-designed for communication? (Commentary on Christiansen and Chater: 'Language as shaped by the brain')

Abstract

Selection through iterated learning explains no more than other non-functional accounts, such as universal grammar, why language is so well-designed for communicative efficiency. It does not predict several distinctive features of language like central embedding, large lexicons or the lack of iconicity, that seem to serve communication purposes at the expense of learnability.