The origins of language

1. The origins of language

2. The origins of language • We simply don’t know how language originated. • We suspect (think, imagine) that some type of spoken language developed between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago • There is no direct physical evidence related to the speech of our ancestor that might tell us how language was back in the early stage. • Therefore we can only speculate (guess)

3. The divine (godly) source • Theories: • In most religions, there appears to be a divine source that provides human with language. • The name theory • The biblical tradition • God created Adam “whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name theory” • The Hindu tradition • Language came from Sarasvati, wife of Brahma, creator of the universe.

4. The divine (godly) source • Experiments: • To rediscover the original divine language a few experiments have been carried out: • The Egyptian pharaoh experiment. • King James the fourth of Scotland. • Very young children living without access to human language in their early years grow up with no language at all.

5. The natural sound source • Primitive words could have been imitations of the natural sounds which early men and women heard around them.

6. The natural sound source • Theories: • The “bow-wow” theory • Ex: CAW-CAW, COO-COO, Splash, bang, boom, • Onomatopoeic: Echoing natural sound. • But, What about soundless and abstract things? • Language is not only a set of words used as ‘names’ for things. • Natural cries of emotion • Ex: Ah, Ooh, Ouch. • It is produced with sudden intake of breath, which is opposite of ordinary talk. • The ‘yo-he-ho’ theory

7. The physical adaptation source • Instead of looking at the type of sounds as the source of human speech, we can look at the type of physical features human possess. Especially those that is distinct from other creatures.

8. The physical adaptation source • Teeth, lips, mouth, larynx, pharynx

9. The physical adaptation source • Teeth • Human teeth are upright and even in height. • They are good for girding and chewing not useful for ripping and tearing food. • They are very helpful in making sound like f or v

10. The physical adaptation source • Lips • Have much more complex muscle structure than other creatures. • Lips flexibility helps in making sounds like p or b.

11. The physical adaptation source • Mouth • Relatively small • Can be opened and closed rapidly • Contains a smaller, thicker, and more muscle.

12. The physical adaptation source • Tongue • Can be used to shape variety of sound inside the oral cavity.

13. The physical adaptation source • The overall effects of these small differences taken together is a face with complex muscle structure in the lip and mouth, capable of a wider range of shapes and more rapid delivery of sound produce though these different shapes.

14. The physical adaptation source • larynx • ‘voice box’ (contain the vocal cords) • Lower position

15. The physical adaptation source • Pharynx • Above the vocal cord • Extra vocal power • Increased range and clarity of the sounds produced via the larynx

16. The genetic source • The human brain is more powerful than small physical adaptations therefore scholars looked at it as the source of language. • Ex: deaf child becomes fluent sign language user. • This indicate that human are born with special capacity for language

17. The genetic source • The innateness hypothesis • Language capacity is genetics

18. Homework • Study questions # 4, 6