
Introduction
‘Man is a multi-sensorial being; occasionally he verbalises.’
Ray Birdwhistell, American anthropologist
How it all started
Occasionally he verbalises! Even before you uttered a word you
could communicate. Every mother knows her baby’s different
cries – the cry for hunger, the cry of discomfort, the cry of
pain and the cry for not getting your own way. Even before you
understood a word you understood a smile, a frown and perhaps
even a look of anxiety.
Our first language
As primates we were communicating to each other long before
there were words. This was a sophisticated language, too – how
else could you bring ...