Contact, connectivity and language evolution

This paper is concerned firstly with introducing a preliminary sketch of a function-oriented theory of language contact. Second, it will address the position of connectivity devices as mental or cognitive operations, which constitute part of the bilingual’s communicative activity. From the behaviour of connectivity devices in bilingual communication, I will be drawing some conclusions as to their position in the grammatical apparatus. The final issue to be addressed is a rather speculative addendum, a commentary on the possible position of connectivity operations in the ancient architecture of the language faculty itself.