Abstract
This chapter presents a theoretical perspective on the role of play in a variety of species, and how their evolution may have affected the emergence of language. It highlights the ways that flexibility of vocal control in humans may be in part a reflection of tendencies to play, tendencies which exist widely in mammals, concentrating specifically on the possible roles of play in the evolution and ontogeny of flexible communication systems. The chapter suggests that it is important to determine the extent to which some animals play with signals. Although human language play involves the manipulation of sounds, the chapter shows that the “language” play of other species will incorporate signals from the modality used in their communication system.
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