Wężowicz-Ziółkowska, Dobrosława2013-05-292013-05-292013Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne, 2013, nr 4, s.205–220978-83-232-2525-62084-3011http://hdl.handle.net/10593/6325The essay shows the main conceptions upon a biological power of a word: the macchiavellian theory/ theory of a lie, the mating mind theory, that means a theory of handicaps, and the social selection theory of S. Dunbar. The author proposes a thesis that a speech takes its power from the biological determinants of the origin of a language, and proves it by fusing various contemporary biological concepts. It is a biological evolution that founds the power of words, and also explains the magic of words in the various types of relations – among society, but also between sexes, generations and finally, among individuals considered in a biological sense.plwordevolutionadaptationsexdeceitgossipnatural selectionsexual selectionArtykuł