Sign languages are problematic for a gestural origins theory of language evolution
- 1 April 2005
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- Vol. 28 (2) , 130-131
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x05270036
Abstract
Sign languages exhibit all the complexities and evolutionary advantages of spoken languages. Consequently, sign languages are problematic for a theory of language evolution that assumes a gestural origin. There are no compelling arguments why the expanding spiral between protosign and protospeech proposed by Arbib would not have resulted in the evolutionary dominance of sign over speech.Keywords
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