Kartika Cahyaningrum / C0314018

Qudwatu Nabila Rodhiya / C0314031

Rafika Arimbi / C0314033
The Origin of Language
A. Why do we study history of the English language?
1. As language department students, studying the history of the English language can
help us to recognize more of English words based on the languages linked to it.
2. We can explain the irregularity found in the language by tracing back to the
history of the language. In Morphology course, for example, we have learned
about some English words that cannot be attached to suffixes or probably prefixes.
The reason is that they are originated from different language.
3. Language is a part of culture and society, thus studying the history of language
shows our culture awareness. Moreover, since language is constantly evolving,
when we find some language problems, tracing back to the history may help us
find the solution.
B. What is language?
According to W. Nelson Francis in his book The Structure of American English, A
language is an arbitrary system of articulated sounds made use of by a group of
humans as a means carrying on the affairs of their society.
From the definition above, we can conclude that:
1. Language is an arbitrary system. It means that there is no natural connection
between the sound or form of a word and its meaning. For example, when
someone say apple, what popping up in our head is a kind of fruit. However, if
we didnt have the same cultural understanding, we might not think about any
object when we hear the word.
2. Language is used by humans. Animals make sounds too, but it is hardly
considered as language. That is because language is a complex system, not only a
tool of communication. It means that human language is unique in the sense that it
is not only to make us able to communicate to each other, but also to build infinite
variety from the system.
3. Language is always developing in accordance with the societys needs. Before
humans learn to write, they have used spoken language (it can be seen from how

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illiterate people can speak), but of course the development of written language is
essential for the society. Then, we can also see how the language we use today is
different from the language used in the past. It means that as the society is
changing, the language may change as well.
C. Theories of the origin of language
Before discussing about the theories, we must first understand that the question about
languages origin has always been asked. Since language is related to the society, the
perspective of the origin of language is also influenced by the society. That is how the
traditional and mythical theories, which came from humans legends and beliefs,
emerged.
Besides the traditional theories, which credibility questionable, there are also rather
scientific theories.
1. The Bow-wow Theory
The name of the theory comes from dogs bark in the ears of Western, or English
speaking, people. According to the theory, language is emerged as humans tried to
imitate the sounds of the nature. This way of acquiring language can still be seen
from how parents speak to their children, which is by imitating animals sounds.
However, some people object this theory. The reason is that the way to interpret
the same sound may be different from one person to another. Therefore, when a
dog barks, English people imitate the sound with bow-wow, while Indonesian
people think it is more like guk-guk.
2. The Ding-dong Theory
The Ding-dong theory is similar to the Bow-wow theory. It states that humans in
the past had already had the awareness of rhythm in the nature, like in the flowing
river or the waving trees, thus they started to mutter some sounds based on it.
Starting from that, the primitive utterance developed into chants.
Therefore, the theory relates the origin of language with human impulse to imitate
the rhythm of the nature. However, the theory also has the same objection as the
previous theory mentioned.
3. The Pooh-pooh Theory

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The Pooh-pooh explains that language is influenced by emotional feelings.

They can be the expressions of happiness, pain, adoring something, etc.
The theorists believe that language is derived from the euphemism screams
of emotion.
At first, pooh-pooh is a term to express the annoyance or disagreement.

4. The Gesture Theory

The Gesture Theory by was stated Wilhelm Wundt, then repeated by Sir
Richard Paged in his book, Human Speech
People communicated by making signs and motions.
This still can be found until now, such as using hand when calling someone,
express agreement/disagreement, or asking something.
People use their hands to express their intentions, followed by tongue and lip
movements
This indicates that humans used sign language before they have spoken
language.
D. Language Family

Classifications are based on the similarities and differences.

Similarity makes the languages into one language family.

Difference is used to separate one language family from the others.

1. Afro-Asiatic
Used in Northern Africa and Southwest Asia
Branches: Semitic, Egyptian, Berber, Cushitic, Chad
Semitic is the most popular. Branches: Arabic, Hebrew, a part Ethiopian
Egyptian has Coptic as the branch. Coptic became the liturgy of
Christianity in Egypt.
Berbers branches: Kabyle, Shilh, Zenaga, Fuaren. Spread in Eastern
Africa.
Chad has Hausa as the most popular language, because it is the trade
language Western Africa. Chad is used in Middle and Northern Nigeria.

2. Sino-Tibetan
Used in Eastern Asia
Main branches: Tibeto-Burman and China
Tibet language is not only used in Tibet, but also along the frontier.
Burma language is used in Burma, but other type of Tibeto-Burman is used
by mountain people.
Other language family: Malayo-Polynesian, Papua, Dravidian, and AustroAsiatic.

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o Malayo-Polynesian has two sub-branches: Western/Indonesian and
Eastern
Western: Malay, Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese, Sunda, Balinese,
Tagalog
Eastern: Micronesia, Polynesia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii,
Samoa
o Papua family language is used in Papua and New Guinea
o Dravidian is used in Southern India
o Austro-Asiatic is spread in Southeast Asiasuch as Khmer, Vietnam,
and Santali.
3. Language Family in America
Language family in America is divided in accordance with the regions
where the native use it. In North America, the most common languages used are
rooted from Indo-European language, such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, and
French. In northern Canada, there are Eskimo, Athabaskan, Algonquian, Mosan,
and Iroquoian. In Central America, there are some kinds of Indian languages, like
Yucatec, Kekchi, Otomi, and Zapotec. Navaho is used in northern Mexico. In
South America, there are 4 prominent languages, which are Guarani, Paraguay in
southern Brasilia, Quechua of Inca Empire which is still use by Peru, Ecuador
and Bolivian natives and, finally, Tupi-Guarani the lingua franca language in
Amazon Brasilia.
4. Indo-European Language Family
This language family is the largest and most important as perceived by
linguists. The linguists have managed to establish a family tree of it and many
people can see it acceptable. The evidence of how one language connects with
another in this language family can still be found in the similarity of certain
words for example, words used for expressing family relationship, like father,
mother, and sibling.
The relationship of languages in Indo-European was also studied by Jacob
Grimm, a German intellectual on 19 th century. He saw that if one word in Latin is
paralleled with the same words of Germanic language family, it can always be
guaranteed that the letter p in Latin is parallel with the letter f in Germanic. This
Grimms study is the continuity of what was done by Rasmus Rask on 1818
(Danish), collected to be First Germanic Consonant Shift or what is commonly
known as Grimms Law. The exception or deviation in Grimms Law is studied

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by Karl Verner, a Danish, on 1876. Thus, Verners Law arose, explaining the
deviations of Grimms Law.