Summary: Is a sharp tongue a sign of biological “fitness”? A new stufy proposes a provocative theory: human grammar didn’t just evolve for survival—it evolved for wit. In her research, Progovac explores how “quick-wittedness”—the ability to combine words in clever, funny, or unexpected ways—may have been a sexually selected trait from the dawn of language.
The study focuses on ancient verb-noun compounds (e.g., killjoy, pickpocket), which trigger more visceral neural responses than standard descriptive phrases. Progovac suggests that early humans who mastered these “witty” constructions had higher reproductive success, essentially “joking” our species into more complex grammatical rules.
Key Facts
- Wittiness as Fitness: The theory posits that wit served as a “fitness indicator,” much like a peacock’s tail, signaling intelligence, creativity, and cognitive flexibility to potential mates.
- The Power of “Killjoys”: Verb-noun compounds (Verb + Noun) are considered an “ancient” linguistic fossil. Unlike the literal “joy killer,” the compound “killjoy” is more expressive, often coarse, and has a more “vivid” impact on the brain.
- Neural Impact: Neuroimaging suggests that these punchy, ancient compounds produce a more “visceral” effect in the listener than modern, more logical grammatical formations (like “pocket picker”).
- Evolutionary Feedback Loop: Witty individuals may have had more offspring, who then inherited the capacity for even more complex grammar to showcase their own wit, driving the rapid evolution of human language.
Source: PNAS Nexus
Is wittiness a kind of fitness?
Ljiljana Progovac explores the idea that quick-wittedness—using and combining words in a clever and funny way—has been actively selected for in humans from the dawn of language.
Progovac explores how wit could have emerged as soon as the earliest grammar allowed for novel or unexpected word combinations.
Verb-noun compounds, an ancient but now largely moribund construction of verb+noun, create expressive nouns in multiple languages, as in “killjoy” or “pickpocket.” Such compounds are often funny, frequently coarse, and many are short-lived.
Neural imaging suggests that verb-noun compounds produce a more vivid and visceral effect than the more common formations such as “joy killer” or “pocket picker.”
According to the author, skilled deployers of such compounds could have had higher reproductive fitness than less witty individuals, and their descendants could have created still more complicated grammatical rules with which to showcase their wit.
Key Questions Answered:
A: In a way, yes. Progovac’s theory suggests that as soon as the earliest humans could combine two words, they started using them to be funny or insulting (like calling someone a “lickspittle”). Because being witty is a high-level cognitive skill, those who were good at it were seen as more attractive mates, pushing the “arms race” for more complex grammar.
A: It’s about the structure. “Killjoy” is an ancient, “flat” construction that hits the brain all at once. Neuroimaging shows it creates a more vivid mental image and emotional reaction. Modern grammar is more “hierarchical” and logical, which is great for instruction manuals but less “punchy” for a joke or an insult.
A: Evolutionarily speaking, the theory suggests they were more “fit.” Quick-wittedness signals that your brain is working efficiently and can handle “novelty”—two things that would have been very useful for survival and social navigating in early human tribes.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this linguistics and evolutionary neuroscience research news
Author: Ljiljana Progovac
Source: PNAS Nexus
Contact: Ljiljana Progovac – PNAS Nexus
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Survival of the wittiest (not friendliest): The art and science behind human linguistic and cognitive evolution” by Ljiljana Progovac. PNAS Nexus
DOI:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag052
Abstract
Survival of the wittiest (not friendliest): The art and science behind human linguistic and cognitive evolution
There are several previous findings, both theoretical and experimental, that have paved the way toward the view of human evolution as the “survival of the wittiest,” subject to sexual selection, offering better explanatory power than the “survival of the friendliest.”
While research on language evolution has largely neglected the artistic dimension, the fitness in humans is correlated with linguistic eloquence, including humor. This is one of those cases where science can only explain a phenomenon by considering its artistic dimension, and in which linguistic creativity and genetics come into direct contact.
My argument is that selection for quick-wittedness (using and combining words in a clever and funny way), specific to language and unique to humans, needs to be added to the complex picture of human evolution, relevant from the earliest stages of language/grammar.
Wittiness is a trait that allows competition (by “outwitting” others) while at the same time favoring “friendliness” in that it provides an excellent platform for replacing physical aggression with verbal behavior and cognitive contest, the hallmarks of human nature.
This proposal is based on a precise linguistic reconstruction of the earliest stages of grammar, providing linguistic detail (“living fossils”) necessary for hypothesis testing, including neuroimaging experiments.
