Concept
Displacement (linguistics)
Overview
In linguistics, displacement is the capability of language to communicate about things that are not immediately present (spatially or temporally); i.e., things that are either not here or are not here now.
In 1960, Charles F. Hockett proposed displacement as one of 13 design features of language that distinguish human language from animal communication systems (ACSs):
Man is apparently almost unique in being able to talk about things that are remote in space or time (or both) from where the talking goes on. This feature—"displacement"—seems to be definitely lacking in the vocal signaling of man's closest relatives, though it does occur in bee-dancing.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
In the cases of displacement-wit, however, the witticism itself contains a stream of thought in which the displacement is brought about. Here the displacement belongs to the work which is necessary for its understanding. Should this differentiation not be clear to us we can make use of the reduction method, which is an unfailing way for tangible demonstration. We do not deny, however, that there is something in this…
Sigmund Freud, Wit and its relation to the unconscious
Names Displacement several times; states what Displacement is.
But as it is our intention at present to separate the objective from the subjective appearances, we first express the phenomenon in a subjective form, and say,--a derangement or displacement of the object seen, or to be seen, takes place. But that which is seen without a limiting outline may be thus affected without our perceiving the change.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe's Theory of Colours
Names Displacement several times; opens on Displacement.
In the physics of Aristotle, it is by the concepts "high" and "low," spontaneous displacement and forced displacement, own place and strange place, that the movement of a body shot into space or falling freely is defined. But Galileo thought there was no essential moment, no privileged instant. To study the falling body is to consider it at it matters not what moment in its course.
Henri Bergson, Creative Evolution
States what Displacement is; names Displacement twice.
Related ideas
Place in the tradition
Part of Language.
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