The Origins of Language
There is no concrete proof of how human language first began; however, several speculations and theories have been proposed.
The Divine Source
Some people believe that human language is a gift from a spiritual entity. The Bible says it came from the Hebrew God, and the Hindu tradition credits the goddess Sarasvati.
Info
The Natural Sound Source
The "Bow-Wow" Theory
This theory indicates that people might have started using words by copying the sounds they heard in nature; therefore, the first words could have been imitations of things, for example, animal calls.
The "Pooh-Pooh" theory
The Social Interaction Source
This theory suggests that our language began with simple sounds like grunts or groans that early humans made when they worked together or socialized. The idea is that to keep a group going and working together, they needed some way to communicate.
Info
The Physical Adaptation Source
Info
In this theory, it is believed that the capacity for speech production did not only arise from sounds but also from certain physical features of early humans, especially the transition to walking upright on two legs instead of four. This completely changed their breathing patterns compared to other four-legged animals.
Info
Video
The Tool-Making Source
This theory postulates that the development of manual gestures and the ability to make stone tools may have played a role in the evolution of spoken language because it shows that the brain is active and evolving.
The Human brain
The Genetic Source
The first few years of life are a living example of the physical changes that occur during birth in a human baby; for example, deaf children that do not speak can become fluent in sign language, leading to the conclusion that humans are born with a unique special ability to communicate (Yule, 2017, p. 39).
The Innateness Hypothesis
Bibliography
The Innateness Hypothesis
Studies have found gene mutations linked to alterations in the human diet, which may have increased calorie intake and glucose production. These findings support the Innateness Hypothesis, which postulates that a major mutation in human genetics may have contributed to the evolution of language. It is thought that these modifications improved blood flow to the brain, creating conditions to set the stage for the development of a bigger and more complex brain. The study of language origins becomes a search for the unique “language gene” that only humans have (Yule, 2017, p. 40).
Charles Darwin
In 1871, Charles Darwin believed that early humans might have used musical abilities to communicate; then they developed a spoken language. Besides that, he thought this could happen around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, long before written language (as cited in Yule, 2017, pp. 25-26).
Figure 1. Bibliografía y Vidas (2004). Charles Darwin . [online image]
How Does the Human Body Produce Voice and Speech?
Video 2. National Institutes of Health. (2022) How Does the Human Body Produce Voice and Speech? [YouTube video].
The "Bow-Wow" Theory
The "Bow-Wow" Theory was proposed by Jespersen in 1922, and it indicates that early humans imitated sounds like "C A W - C A W" or "C O O - C O O" in order to refer to objects even if they were not present. In other words, it indicates that early words came from copying sounds from nature, like bird calls (Yule, 2017, p. 30).
Figure 3. Limited, A. (2018). Tooddler Imitating sounds [online image]. Alamy.
Physical changes in early humans
- Hurdord (2014) states that “human breathing while speaking is about 90% exhalation with only about 10% of time saved for quick in-breaths” (as cited in Yule, 2017, p. 33).
- Yule (2017) affirms that “the reconstructed vocal tract of a Neanderthal man from around 60,000 years ago suggests that some consonant-like sound distinctions were possible” (p. 33).
Video 1. Chavez, N. (2017) Physical adaptation source 4 [YouTube video].
*Unfortunately, no single anatomical feature has been enough to prove that it allows us produce the complex speech sounds we use today.
Experiments that led to conflicting results
The Egyptian pharaoh Psammetichus' and the King James the Fourth of Scotland's experiment
According to Yule, in both experiments, newborn babies were raised in isolation to see if they would start speaking on their own. However, the experiments showed that without exposure to human speech and interaction, children cannot develop language skills. This means that we need to learn from others to acquire language (2017, pp. 27-28).
Figure 2. Onion, R. (2020). Loneliness [online image] Slate.
The "Pooh-Pooh" Theory
The "Pooh-Pooh" Theory was also proposed by Jespersen in 1922, and it indicates that language starts from the natural sounds people make when they are emotional, like when they are hurt or happy. However, these emotional sounds can be produced with sudden intakes of breath, and they may differ on their role as source sounds for language development (Yule, 2017, p. 31).
Figure 4. Freepik. (2020). A surprised girl [online image]. Freepik.
Additional information of the "yo-he-ho" theory
- Yule states that groups are "necessarily social organizations and, to maintain those organizations, some form of communication is required, even if it is just grunts and curses" (2017, p. 32).
- Nordquist affirms that "even though this notion may account for some of the rhythmic features of the language, it does not go very far in explaining where words com from" (2020).
Figure 5. Social Mettle.(2020). Long-term benefits of socializing [online image]. Social Mettle
Physical adaptations that support speech production
- Teeth and lips: Human teeth are considered relatively small, straight, and better suited for grinding and chewing, and this alignment helps in making certain speech sounds like the 'f' or 'v' sounds; besides, the muscles in human lips are more flexible and allow us to make sounds like the 'p', 'b', and 'm' (Yule, 2017, p. 34).
- Mouth and tongue: The human mouth is smaller than other primates’, allowing for quick opening and closing; besides, humans have shorter, thicker, and more muscular tongues that can help us form a variety of sounds inside the oral cavity (Yule, 2017, p. 35).
- Larynx and pharynx: As humans evolved to walk upright, their larynx or voice box moved lower in the throat, creating a longer cavity above the vocal folds called the pharynx, which acts as a resonator that enhances the range and clarity of sounds produced by the larynx (Yule, 2017, p. 36).
The human brain
Yule (2017) highlights that the human brain is large and lateralized with specific functions in both hemispheres, and it might have developed from the ability to use tools and languages. Besides that, humans may have initially acquired the ability to name things by repeatedly using a single kind of noise (p. 38).
Video 3. New Scientist. (2014) How speech sounds activate the brain [YouTube video]
Bibliography
-
Charles Darwin. Biografía. (2004). Biografías Y Vidas. Figure 1. Charles Darwin [online image]. https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/monografia/darwin/
- Chavez, N. (2017, August 8). Physical adaptation source 4 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxwIkZr85gg
- Freepik (2020, October 16). Free Photo | Portrait of smart and attractive brunette woman posing in the studio. Figure 4. A surprised girl [online image] https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/portrait-smart-attractive-brunette-woman-posing-studio_10623236.htm#query=surprised%20girl&position=0&from_view=keyword&track=ais&uuid=c350a97d-9f6b-4125-afaa-7ceb79948d7e
- Limited, A. (2018). Illustration of a Kid Boy Toddler Imitating Sounds from Animals, a Car and a Horn. Alamy Images. Figure 3. Toodler Imitating sounds [online image]. https://www.alamy.com/illustration-of-a-kid-boy-toddler-imitating-sounds-from-animals-a-car-and-a-horn-image231896716.html
- Mlblevins. (2021, November 30). Long-term benefits of socializing. Social Mettle. https://socialmettle.com/long-term-benefits-of-socializing
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2022, March 26). How does the human body produce voice and speech? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8rlKuSoFM
- New Scientist. (2014, January 30). How speech sounds activate the brain [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilVo36cqXA
- Nordquist, R. (2020, June 29). Five theories on the origins of language. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/where-does-language-come-from-1691015
- Onion, R. (2020, March 26). Could loneliness from the coronavirus isolation be dangerous for children? Slate Magazine. Figure 2. Loneliness [online image]. (2020) https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/03/coronavirus-isolation-loneliness-children-parenting.html
- Yule, G. (2017). The Study of Language. Sixth Edition U.K: Cambridge University Press
The Origins of Language
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Transcript
The Origins of Language
There is no concrete proof of how human language first began; however, several speculations and theories have been proposed.
The Divine Source
Some people believe that human language is a gift from a spiritual entity. The Bible says it came from the Hebrew God, and the Hindu tradition credits the goddess Sarasvati.
Info
The Natural Sound Source
The "Bow-Wow" Theory
This theory indicates that people might have started using words by copying the sounds they heard in nature; therefore, the first words could have been imitations of things, for example, animal calls.
The "Pooh-Pooh" theory
The Social Interaction Source
This theory suggests that our language began with simple sounds like grunts or groans that early humans made when they worked together or socialized. The idea is that to keep a group going and working together, they needed some way to communicate.
Info
The Physical Adaptation Source
Info
In this theory, it is believed that the capacity for speech production did not only arise from sounds but also from certain physical features of early humans, especially the transition to walking upright on two legs instead of four. This completely changed their breathing patterns compared to other four-legged animals.
Info
Video
The Tool-Making Source
This theory postulates that the development of manual gestures and the ability to make stone tools may have played a role in the evolution of spoken language because it shows that the brain is active and evolving.
The Human brain
The Genetic Source
The first few years of life are a living example of the physical changes that occur during birth in a human baby; for example, deaf children that do not speak can become fluent in sign language, leading to the conclusion that humans are born with a unique special ability to communicate (Yule, 2017, p. 39).
The Innateness Hypothesis
Bibliography
The Innateness Hypothesis
Studies have found gene mutations linked to alterations in the human diet, which may have increased calorie intake and glucose production. These findings support the Innateness Hypothesis, which postulates that a major mutation in human genetics may have contributed to the evolution of language. It is thought that these modifications improved blood flow to the brain, creating conditions to set the stage for the development of a bigger and more complex brain. The study of language origins becomes a search for the unique “language gene” that only humans have (Yule, 2017, p. 40).
Charles Darwin
In 1871, Charles Darwin believed that early humans might have used musical abilities to communicate; then they developed a spoken language. Besides that, he thought this could happen around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, long before written language (as cited in Yule, 2017, pp. 25-26).
Figure 1. Bibliografía y Vidas (2004). Charles Darwin . [online image]
How Does the Human Body Produce Voice and Speech?
Video 2. National Institutes of Health. (2022) How Does the Human Body Produce Voice and Speech? [YouTube video].
The "Bow-Wow" Theory
The "Bow-Wow" Theory was proposed by Jespersen in 1922, and it indicates that early humans imitated sounds like "C A W - C A W" or "C O O - C O O" in order to refer to objects even if they were not present. In other words, it indicates that early words came from copying sounds from nature, like bird calls (Yule, 2017, p. 30).
Figure 3. Limited, A. (2018). Tooddler Imitating sounds [online image]. Alamy.
Physical changes in early humans
Video 1. Chavez, N. (2017) Physical adaptation source 4 [YouTube video].
*Unfortunately, no single anatomical feature has been enough to prove that it allows us produce the complex speech sounds we use today.
Experiments that led to conflicting results
The Egyptian pharaoh Psammetichus' and the King James the Fourth of Scotland's experiment
According to Yule, in both experiments, newborn babies were raised in isolation to see if they would start speaking on their own. However, the experiments showed that without exposure to human speech and interaction, children cannot develop language skills. This means that we need to learn from others to acquire language (2017, pp. 27-28).
Figure 2. Onion, R. (2020). Loneliness [online image] Slate.
The "Pooh-Pooh" Theory
The "Pooh-Pooh" Theory was also proposed by Jespersen in 1922, and it indicates that language starts from the natural sounds people make when they are emotional, like when they are hurt or happy. However, these emotional sounds can be produced with sudden intakes of breath, and they may differ on their role as source sounds for language development (Yule, 2017, p. 31).
Figure 4. Freepik. (2020). A surprised girl [online image]. Freepik.
Additional information of the "yo-he-ho" theory
Figure 5. Social Mettle.(2020). Long-term benefits of socializing [online image]. Social Mettle
Physical adaptations that support speech production
The human brain
Yule (2017) highlights that the human brain is large and lateralized with specific functions in both hemispheres, and it might have developed from the ability to use tools and languages. Besides that, humans may have initially acquired the ability to name things by repeatedly using a single kind of noise (p. 38).
Video 3. New Scientist. (2014) How speech sounds activate the brain [YouTube video]
Bibliography