  A mechanism is presented through which very light scalar degrees of freedom
obeying the nonlinear sigma model equation can emerge in spontaneously broken
gauge theories.
  The mechanism operates in extra dimensional theories in which a) there are
massless gauge fields present in the theory prior to compactification, and b)
the extra dimensions are inhomogeneous in such a way that symmetry breaking
Higgs fields aquire vevs only at very localised points on the manifold. These
conditions are naturally fulfilled in orbifold compactifications of string
theory. Possible applications include cosmic texture, axions and family
symmetry.
