Download or read book On the Origin of Language written by John H. Moran and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1986-03-15 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Additionally, Rousseau's essay is an important text for semiotics and modern critical theory, as it plays a very important role in Jacques Derrida's book Of Grammatology. Rousseau supplements his discussion of the origin of languages with theories about the origins of music, melody and harmony, and the relationship of languages to government.