Mimetic theory of speech origins

The Mimetic Theory of speech origins, primarily associated with the work of the French philosopher and anthropologist André Leroi-Gourhan, posits that human language originated from gestures and imitative actions. The theory suggests that early humans communicated not through structured language as we understand it today, but rather through a form of "mimetic" expression, where actions and gestures imitated real-life phenomena to convey meaning.