Language evolution

Features & opinion

How did language evolve? A popular theory about the origin of language is that it began with gestures, rather than speech. Before children can talk, they learn to point, nod and wave. Could the development of language in our ancestors have followed the same sequence? Cognitive scientist Kensy Cooperrider explores the gesture-first and speech-first origins of language, and explains why the ‘hardest problem in science’ could be one of the most tantalizing. Aeon | 16 min read