Two CV syllables for one pointing gesture as an optimal ratio for jaw-arm coordination in a deictic task: A preliminary study

Amélie Rochet-Capellan (1) , Jean-Luc Schwartz (2) , Rafael Laboissière (3) , Arturo Galvan (3)

1 GIPSA-lab - Grenoble Images Parole Signal Automatique
2 GIPSA-PMD - GIPSA - Parole, Multimodalité, Développement
3 IMPNSC - Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences [Leipzig]

According to the "Vocalize-to-Localize" framework (Abry et al., 2004), the association of oral and brachiomanual gestures in the deictic function could be the root of the first words emergence in both ontogeny and phylogeny. This association may require a close coordination between the two gestural systems, possibly anchored in a 2:1 harmonic ratio between the natural oscillatory frequencies of the Speech frame (open-close jaw cycle) and the Sign frame (arm-hand-finger pointing cycle). This could explain why both languages and first words favor bi-syllabic forms (Ducey-Kaufman et al., 2005). The present study used a new paradigm to test this 2:1 ratio in adult on-line productions. The results provide first evidence that supports the 2:1 ratio and suggest new arguments for a substance-based approach of language evolution.

Domaines: Linguistique; Psychologie

Amélie Rochet-Capellan, Jean-Luc Schwartz, Rafael Laboissière, Arturo Galvan. Two CV syllables for one pointing gesture as an optimal ratio for jaw-arm coordination in a deictic task: A preliminary study. EuroCogSci 2007 -2nd European Cognitive Science Conference, May 2007, Delphi, Greece. pp.608-613. ⟨hal-00157940⟩