Nonverbal Steps to the Origins of Language

Nonverbal Steps to the Origins of Language examines the origin and development of human language through the seemingly paradoxical lens of nonverbal communication. Taking an evolutionary stance, it identifies and explores 15 sequential nonverbal steps that cumulatively enabled modern linguistic communication in Homo sapiens.

Each step examines how human communication has evolved over time, detailing the changes that occurred at each developmental stage and their corresponding roles in gestured and spoken language. While following an evolutionary timeline, this book contextualizes these developments within modern discourse on topics such as linguistics, physiology, and brain development. The authors introduce the innovative “Language Superimposition Theory” (LST), proposing that human language—in both its vocal and gestural forms—was superimposed upon an older, preexisting nonverbal medium. This theoretical framework challenges conventional understanding of language origins by elevating nonverbal communication from its traditionally neglected status.

Exploring diverse topics including chemical messaging, audio-visual messaging, emotional signaling, binocular vision, facial expressions, pointing behaviors, object manipulation, ancient tool-making, and food sharing, this fascinating intellectual journey is a must-read for students of nonverbal communication from psychology, linguistics, and anthropology backgrounds.

David B. Givens has recently retired as a teacher in the School of Professional Studies at Gonzaga University, USA, and is the Director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies. He began studying “body language” for his Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. He served as Anthropologist in Residence at the American Anthropological Association in Washington, DC from 1985 to 1997 and has previously taught Anthropology at the University of Washington. His expertise is in Nonverbal Communication, Anthropology, and the Brain. He has published numerous books and articles on the topic of nonverbal communication, including Love Signals: A Practical Field Guide to the Body Language of Courtship (2005); Crime Signals: How to Spot a Criminal before You become a Victim (2008); The Routledge Dictionary of Nonverbal Communication (Routledge, 2021); and A Guide to Sight-Reading the Body Language of Business, Bosses, and Boardrooms (2024).

John White works as an Assistant Professor on undergraduate and postgraduate education programs at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU). He currently works as Director of the DCU Changemaker Schools Network. His research interests include language acquisition, nonverbal communication, primary education, embodied cognition, arts-based research, mathematics education, science education, and changemaker practices. He is the co-author of two books on nonverbal communication: The Classroom X–Factor: The Power of Body Language and Nonverbal Communication in Teaching (Routledge, 2011) and The Routledge Dictionary of Nonverbal Communication (Routledge, 2021).