The origin of language: Symbiosism and symbiomism

Symbiosism is a Darwinian model of language and its emergence. Symbiotic Theory operates on the Leiden definition of memes as isofunctional neuroanatomical entities corresponding to linguistic signs in the Saussurean sense, not on the Oxonian conception of memes as units of imitation. Symbiosism treats linguistic forms as vehicles for the reproduction of meaningful elements in the hominid brain and so transcends the obsolete discord between the functionalist or European structuralist conception of language, whereby linguistic forms are seen as instruments used to convey meaningful elements, and the formalist or generative approach, whereby linguistic forms are treated as abstract structures which can be filled with meaningful elements. Symbiomism is the philosophy of life which grew out of Symbiosism and which understands our individual and collective human identity as symbiomes of a biological host and a semiotic symbiont.

• Affiliations: 1: Leiden University