As proposed for the emergence of modern languages, we argue that modern uses of languages (pragmatics) also evolved gradually in our species under the effects of human self-domestication, with three key aspects involved in a complex feedback loop: (a) a reduction in reactive aggression, (b) the sophistication of language structure (with emerging grammars initially facilitating the transition from physical aggression to verbal aggression); and (c) the potentiation of pragmatic principles governing conversation, including, but not limited to, turn-taking and inferential abilities. Our core hypothesis is that the reduction in reactive aggression, one of the key factors in self-domestication processes, enabled us to fully exploit our cognitive and interactional potential as applied to linguistic exchanges, and ultimately to evolve a specific form of communication governed by persuasive reciprocity—a trait of human conversation characterized by both competition and cooperation. In turn, both early crude forms of language, well suited for verbal aggression/insult, and later more sophisticated forms of language, well suited for persuasive reciprocity, significantly contributed to the resolution and reduction of (physical) aggression, thus having a return effect on the self-domestication processes. Supporting evidence for our proposal, as well as grounds for further testing, comes mainly from the consideration of cognitive disorders, which typically simultaneously present abnormal features of self-domestication (including aggressive behavior) and problems with pragmatics and social functioning. While various approaches to language evolution typically reduce it to a single factor, our approach considers language evolution as a multifactorial process, with each player acting upon the other, engaging in an intense mutually reinforcing feedback loop. Moreover, we see language evolution as a gradual process, continuous with the pre-linguistic cognitive abilities, which were engaged in a positive feedback loop with linguistic innovations, and where gene-culture co-evolution and cultural niche construction were the main driving forces.

中文翻译：

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人类的自我驯化与语用学的演变

正如为现代语言的出现所提出的那样，我们认为现代语言的使用（语用学）也在人类自我驯化的影响下在我们的物种中逐渐演变，复杂的反馈循环涉及三个关键方面：（a）减少在反应性攻击中，(b) 语言结构的复杂性（新兴语法最初促进了从身体攻击到言语攻击的转变）；(c) 加强控制对话的实用原则，包括但不限于轮换和推理能力。我们的核心假设是，作为自我驯化过程的关键因素之一，反应性攻击的减少使我们能够充分利用我们应用于语言交流的认知和互动潜力，并最终发展出一种受说服互惠控制的特定交流形式——一种以竞争和合作为特征的人类对话特征。反过来，早期粗略的语言形式，非常适合口头攻击/侮辱，以及后来更复杂的语言形式，非常适合有说服力的互惠，极大地促进了（身体）攻击的解决和减少，从而产生了回报效应关于自我驯化过程。支持我们提议的证据以及进一步测试的理由主要来自对认知障碍的考虑，认知障碍通常同时表现出自我驯化的异常特征（包括攻击性行为）以及语用和社会功能问题。虽然语言进化的各种方法通常将其简化为单一因素，但我们的方法将语言进化视为一个多因素过程，每个参与者相互影响，参与强烈的相互加强的反馈循环。此外，我们认为语言进化是一个渐进的过程，与前语言认知能力相延续，与语言创新形成正反馈循环，基因-文化共同进化和文化生态位构建是主要驱动力。