Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words
Language—often said to set human beings apart from other animals—has resisted explanation in terms of evolution. Language has—among others—two fundamental and distinctive features: syntax and the ability to express non-present actions and events. We suggest that the relation between this representat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00477/full |
| _version_ | 1811270753036795904 |
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| author | Till Nikolaus von Heiseler |
| author_facet | Till Nikolaus von Heiseler |
| author_sort | Till Nikolaus von Heiseler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Language—often said to set human beings apart from other animals—has resisted explanation in terms of evolution. Language has—among others—two fundamental and distinctive features: syntax and the ability to express non-present actions and events. We suggest that the relation between this representation (of non-present action) and syntax can be analyzed as a relation between a function and a structure to fulfill this function. The strategy of the paper is to ask if there is any evidence of pre-linguistic communication that fulfills the function of communicating an absent action. We identify a structural similarity between understanding indexes of past actions of conspecifics (who did what to whom) and one of the simplest and most paradigmatic linguistic syntactic patterns – that of the simple transitive sentence. When a human being infers past events from an index (i.e., a trace, the conditions of a conspecifics or an animal, a constellation or an object) the interpreters’ comprehension must rely on concepts similar in structure and function to the ‘thematic roles’ believed to underpin the comprehension of linguistic syntax: in his or her mind the idea of a past action or event emerges along with thematic role-like concepts; in the case of the presentation of, e.g., a hunting trophy, the presenter could be understood to be an agent (subject) and the trophy a patient (direct object), while the past action killed is implied by the condition of the object and its possession by the presenter. We discuss whether both the presentation of a trophy and linguistic syntax might have emerged independently while having the same function (to represent a past action) or whether the presentation of an index of a deed could constitute a precursor of language. Both possibilities shed new light on early, and maybe first, language use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:07:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a98dfc3b133d4686998d358471917d83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:07:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a98dfc3b133d4686998d358471917d832022-12-22T03:14:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-03-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.00477425173Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without WordsTill Nikolaus von HeiselerLanguage—often said to set human beings apart from other animals—has resisted explanation in terms of evolution. Language has—among others—two fundamental and distinctive features: syntax and the ability to express non-present actions and events. We suggest that the relation between this representation (of non-present action) and syntax can be analyzed as a relation between a function and a structure to fulfill this function. The strategy of the paper is to ask if there is any evidence of pre-linguistic communication that fulfills the function of communicating an absent action. We identify a structural similarity between understanding indexes of past actions of conspecifics (who did what to whom) and one of the simplest and most paradigmatic linguistic syntactic patterns – that of the simple transitive sentence. When a human being infers past events from an index (i.e., a trace, the conditions of a conspecifics or an animal, a constellation or an object) the interpreters’ comprehension must rely on concepts similar in structure and function to the ‘thematic roles’ believed to underpin the comprehension of linguistic syntax: in his or her mind the idea of a past action or event emerges along with thematic role-like concepts; in the case of the presentation of, e.g., a hunting trophy, the presenter could be understood to be an agent (subject) and the trophy a patient (direct object), while the past action killed is implied by the condition of the object and its possession by the presenter. We discuss whether both the presentation of a trophy and linguistic syntax might have emerged independently while having the same function (to represent a past action) or whether the presentation of an index of a deed could constitute a precursor of language. Both possibilities shed new light on early, and maybe first, language use.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00477/fullarbitrarisationindexlanguage evolutionsign-languagestorytellingtestimony |
| spellingShingle | Till Nikolaus von Heiseler Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words Frontiers in Psychology arbitrarisation index language evolution sign-language storytelling testimony |
| title | Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words |
| title_full | Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words |
| title_fullStr | Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words |
| title_full_unstemmed | Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words |
| title_short | Syntax of Testimony: Indexical Objects, Syntax, and Language or How to Tell a Story Without Words |
| title_sort | syntax of testimony indexical objects syntax and language or how to tell a story without words |
| topic | arbitrarisation index language evolution sign-language storytelling testimony |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00477/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tillnikolausvonheiseler syntaxoftestimonyindexicalobjectssyntaxandlanguageorhowtotellastorywithoutwords |