Iconicity, multimodality, and language evolution

Abstract This chapter explores the possible role of iconicity and multimodality in the evolution of human language—both spoken and signed. It begins with a brief discussion of iconicity in relation to multimodality by first describing these in the communication of modern humans: in lexical and syntactic features of both spoken and signed language, and in more gestural elements perceived and produced visually, vocally, and manually, including visual and vocal prosody, facial and body expression, and manual gesture. The focus throughout will be on how differences and complementarity in types of iconicity across modalities are exploited in human communication, including a description of the role of iconicity in the multimodal communication of young children developing a first language, and then to the discussion of iconicity and multimodality in relation to theories of the evolution of human language.