Editorial: Rethinking the embodiment of language: challenges and future horizons

Research on the embodiment of language is entering a new phase. This renewed interest is not simply a consequence of the theoretical and methodological debates that have accompanied the field over the last decade, including concerns about replicability and the reliability of some classic findings (Morey et al., 2022). Rather, it reflects a deeper transformation in how embodiment itself is conceptualized. Instead of asking whether language is embodied—the fact that is no long questioned in the mainstream literature—current research increasingly seeks to determine how, when, to what extent, and under which conditions bodily resources and representations contribute to language processing, acquisition, and use. In parallel, the notion of embodiment has progressively expanded beyond mere sensorimotor simulation during word comprehension to encompass broader questions concerning the experiential grounding of meaning, the role of interaction and context, the contribution of different linguistic systems, and the dynamic relationship between bodily experience, environment, cognition, communication and learning.