Language is more abstract than you think, or, why aren't languages more iconic?

How abstract is language? We show that abstractness pervades every corner of language, going far beyond the usual examples of freedom and justice. In the light of the ubiquity of abstract words, the need to understand where abstract meanings come from becomes ever more acute. We argue that the best source of knowledge about abstract meanings may be language itself. We then consider a seemingly unrelated question: Why isn't language more iconic? Iconicity-a resemblance between the form of words and their meanings-can be immensely useful in language learning and communication. Languages could be much more iconic than they currently are. So why aren't they? We suggest that one reason is that iconicity is inimical to abstraction because iconic forms are too connected to specific contexts and sensory depictions. Form-meaning arbitrariness may allow language to better convey abstract meanings. This article is part of the theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'.