THE GENETIC PERSPECTIVE IN PSYCHOLINGUISTICS OR WHERE DO SPOKEN WORDSCOME FROM

The core issue in the 19-century sources of psycholinguistics was the question, ''Where does language come from?'' This genetic perspective unified the study of the ontogenesis, the phylogenesis, the microgenes is, and to some extent the neurogenesis of language. This paper makes the point that this original perspective is still a valid and attracti ve one. it is exemplified by a discussion of the genesis of spoken wor ds.