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Human uniqueness, bodily mimesis and the evolution of language

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Author

Summary, in English

I argue that an evolutionary adaptation for bodily mimesis, the volitional use of the body as a representational devise, is the “small difference” that gave rise to unique and yet pre-linguistic features of humanity such as (over)imitation, pedagogy, intentional communication and the possibility of a cumulative, representational culture. Furthermore, it is this that made the evolution of language possible. In support for the thesis that speech evolved atop bodily mimesis and a transitional multimodal protolanguage, I review evidence for the extensive presence of sound-symbolism in modern languages, for its psychological reality in adults, and for its contribution to language acquisition in children. On a meta-level, the argument is that dividing human cognitive-semiotic evolution into a sequence of stages is crucial for resolving classical dichotomies on human nature and language, which are both natural and cultural, both continuous with and discontinuous from those of (other) animals.

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Publication/Series

Humana.Mente

Issue

27

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Humana.Mente

Topic

  • Languages and Literature

Keywords

  • sound symbolism
  • representation
  • iconicity
  • cross-modality
  • conventionality

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1972-1293