Oltre l’orizzonte verbale: dalle tassonomie paralinguistiche alla multimodalità

Abstract

This paper explores the foundations of multimodal theories in linguistics and semiotics, highlighting how non-verbal phenomena – initially deemed peripheral or merely auxiliary to traditional linguistic descriptions – have become essential to a broader understanding of communicative acts. After providing an overview of pioneering research on paralinguistics, the discussion shifts to more recent theoretical proposals that emphasize the need to classify and taxonomize the various semiotic resources, as well as to articulate the expressive plane. These perspectives underscore the urgency of a metalanguage capable of integrating material, cultural, and cognitive aspects, thereby accounting for the syncretic and dynamic nature of meaning-making.