Multiple approach to displacement for exploring the origin and evolution of language

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23300085
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sensitivity informatics/Soft computing
• Research Institution: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMOTO Takashi 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 知識科学研究科, 教授 (90313709)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): FUJITA Koji 京都大学, 人間・環境学研究科, 教授 (00173427) ; OKANOYA Kazuo 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (30211121) ; KONNO Takeshi 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 知識科学研究科, 特任助教 (50537058)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 超越性 / 言語の起源と進化 / 複合的アプローチ / コミュニケーション / 実験記号論 / 文化進化 / 複雑系 / 比喩的記号システム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied displacement in language, a remarkable feature of human language, which is to express something remote from here and now, using a multiple approach adopting theoretical, experimental, and constructive methodologies. It was shown that the idiosyncratic feature of displacement in language communication was that it makes possible to transmit and share what the partner has not known. In order to investigate the mechanism and process of establishing this feature, we developed an experimental paradigm of drawing communication in terms of experimental semiotics approach. Through the analysis of this experiment, we found that combined use of metaphorical and metonymical expressions was effective for displaced communication and that a symbol system changed from iconic to figurative in realizing displaced communication. We discussed the possibility that this change of symbol system occurred in the initial cultural evolution of human language.

Free Research Field

進化言語学