The origins of language

1.The natural-sound source:

1. Bow-wow theory of language origin: Formation of words by imitating (echoing) natural
sound (onomatopoeia) bow wow, cawcaw, cuckoo, buzz, hiss, rattle, screech, etc. how
about soundless objects stone, wood abstract ideas truth, happiness language is not
simply a set of words used as names for entities.
2. Yo heave ho theory of language origin: Sounds made by persons involved in physical
efforts grunts, groans, swear words indicating that language developed in social context
but does not shed light on the origin of the sounds produced apes have grunts and social
calls, but have not developed the capacity for speech. Natural cries of emotions as source of
language:
Emotional cries of pain, joy, sorrow, disgust, etc. expressed in words, such as ouch, wow, ah,
yuck, etc. interjections (expressive noises) seem to be unlikely candidate as source of
language sounds.
2. The oral-gesture source:
Oral gesture theory a link between physical gesture and oral gesture originally a set of
physical gestures (pantomimes representing actions, characters, moods, etc.) were developed
for (nonverbal) communication then oral gestures (movements of tongue, lips, etc.) were
recognized according to patterns of movements similar to physical gestures movement of
tongue representing waving of hand in a goodbye message called a specialized pantomime
of the tongue and lips hard to visualize oral gestures that can mimic various physical
gestures or vice-versa.
3. Glossogenetics:
Focuses on the biological basis of the formation and development of human language
transition to upright posture bipedal (two-legged) locomotion revised roll for the hands
differences between the skull of a gorilla and a Neanderthal man (around 60, 000 B.C.)
Neanderthals could have made some consonant-like sound distinctions reconstructed
fossilized skeletons of about 35,000 B.C. resemble modern humans there was partial
adaptation of certain physical features that appears relevant for speech.
4. Physiological adaptation:
Teeth: upright, roughly even in height lips: more intricate muscle interlacing than in other
primates very flexible mouth: relatively small open / close rapidly tongue: very
complex muscular structure very flexible larynx: the voice box contains vocal cord (folds)
lower in humans pharynx: cavity above larynx can act as resonator brain: lateralized in
humans each of the two brain hemispheres has specialized function analytical functions,
such as tool using and language largely confined to the left hemisphere for most humans
1. Ability to name objects
2. Combining naming words to build complex messages.
5. Interaction and transaction:
1. Interaction: Use of language to interact with one another, socially or emotionally to
indicate friendliness, co-operation, hostility, annoyance, pain, pleasure.
2. Transaction: Transfer of knowledge, skills, information form one generation to the next
through spoken and written language.