On the final stage of the evolution of language (lexico-semantic aspect)

Alexey Koshelev (LRC Publishers, koshelev47@gmail.com)

Journal of Language Relationship, № 10, 2013 - p.63-84

Abstract: The article demonstrates that 1) “words” in the human Pre-language must have been monosemic and could only have basic meanings; 2) in the process of transformation of the Pre-language into the Proto-language these “words” became polysemic, thus acquiring metaphoric and metonymic meanings; 3) those who are able to understand and generate metaphors and metonimies possess a human understanding of reality, a well-developed mind and the ability to use the polysemic lexicon in a creative way.

Keywords: lexical Proto-language, evolution of language, polysemy, central sense, metaphor, metonymy, pre-language, language acquisition

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