Compositionality in Emerging Vocal Communication Can Be Linear, Simultaneous, and Iconic
abenitezburraco · x · 2026-10-25
A paper on compositionality in emerging vocal communication shows it can take three forms:
- Linear: signals concatenated in sequence, with order carrying meaning
- Simultaneous: multiple semantic dimensions overlaid in one signal
- Iconic: signal form directly maps to the referent
The accompanying figure illustrates how dimensions like shape/size/movement/speed get encoded into call combinations using fictional creatures — relevant to language evolution and animal communication research.
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