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Theories about the Origin of Language. Otto Jespersen (1921): Human language originated while human beings were enjoying themselves. The Divine Source Theory. In most religions: divine source provides humans with languageGenesis (2:19): God created Adam and
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1. The Origins of Human Language Yule, George (1996). The Study of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 1)
3. The Divine Source Theory In most religions: divine source provides humans with language
Genesis (2:19): God created Adam and ‘whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name thereof‘
4. The Divine Source Theory Hindu:
Language comes from goddess Sarasvati, wife of Brahma, creator of the universe
5. Experiments Egyptian pharaoh Psammetichus (600 B.C)
two new-born infants
two years in the company of a mute shepard
Phrygian word: bekos (meaning bread)
6. Experiments James IV of Scotland:
similar experiment
children were reported to have started speaking Hebrew
7. The Natural Sounds Source Theory Hypothesis: primitive words are imitations of the natural sounds which early man and women heard around them
E.g.: object flew by ? cuckoo sound?name cuckoo
8. The Natural Sounds Source Theory Explanation for onomatopoe(t)ic words:
splash, bang, boom, rattle, buzz, hiss
Also called bow-wow (Wauwau) theory of language
9. The Natural Sounds Source Theory Natural cries of emotion: pain, anger, joy:?
e.g. ouch
Yo-heave-ho theory: sounds of a person involved in physical effort e.g. when lifting trees or mammoths
10. The Oral Gesture Source Theory hypothesis: link between physical gesture and orally produced sounds
developed by Sir Richard Paget (1930)
movement of the tongue when saying goodbye resembles movement of waving of the hand
11. Physiological Adaptation Theory physical features of human beings: good clues for their capacity for speech
human teeth: upright, even in height
human lips: flexibility, needed for sounds like p,b and w
12. Physiological Adaptation Theory human larynx (Kehlkopf): position lower than with monkeys
? longer cavity called pharynx (Rachenhöhle) acts as resonator
13. Physiological Adaptation Theory human brain: lateralized
has special functions in each of the two hemispheres
left hemisphere: analytic, tool using, language
right hemisphere: holistic, music, visuo-spatial skills