Origin of Language: Does Gesture Come First?

doi:10.4236/oalib.1109036

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Open Access Library Journal 9 2022

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Origin of Language: Does Gesture Come First?

DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1109036, PP. 1-10

Zhao Shang

Subject Areas: Linguistics

Keywords: Gesture, Language Origin, Multimodal Origin, Language Evolution, Vocal Modality

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Abstract

Debates on the origins of gestures and language have lasted for a long time. Many scholars have investigated in depth the mechanisms underlying human and non-human primate communication systems, including gestures and vocalisations, which shed light on the origin of language. Critiques argue that language derives from vocal modality, which can be demonstrated in the experiment on children’s language development. Since the origin of language is indispensable for the study of language evolution, it is significant for researchers to further study it and unfold the mystery of language origin. This paper reviews dominant theories of the gestural origin of language and illustrates some critiques of them, concluding that gestures indeed play a pivotal role in language evolution, but language starts by no means with only one modality. More importance should be attached to the study of multimodal origin.

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Shang, Z. (2022). Origin of Language: Does Gesture Come First?. Open Access Library Journal, 9, e9036. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1109036.

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