How the mouth became symbolic (opens in new tab)

Before we name, we touch. We propose that the roots of language lie not in abstract, amodal symbols but in early bodily experience. Early haptic and oral interactions ground conceptual knowledge through active exploration. The mouth, acting as a cognitive organ, functions not only as a site of articulation but also as a locus of tactile perception and intersubjective exchange. We suggest that language may have evolved through the neural reuse of circuits originally dedicated to ingestion and ...