AbstractIn the last few years, researchers have begun to study novel human communication systems in the laboratory (Experimental Semiotics, ES). The first goal of this article is to provide a primer to ES, which we will do by reviewing the experimental paradigms developed by experimental semioticians, as well as the main research themes that have emerged in the discipline. A second goal is to illustrate what implications ES has for linguistics. In particular, we will argue that ES has the potential to complement linguistics in important ways and illustrate such potential in the context of each of the themes we review.