Introduction
When talking about the origins of language, it is interesting to discuss when exactly we a:
human beings started to speak for the first time. Studies have not, so far, provided us with a
definitive answer. Yet, we know certainly that the spoken language existed even earlier than
the written one. So, as an attempt to know more about the origins of language, many studies
and experiments have been carried out throughout history, and some of them are going to be
mentioned during this lesson.
1 The Divine Source :
In most religions, language is considered as a gift from God. It is believed that if human
infants grow up isolated, they spontaneously begin using God-given language.
Experiments were conducted in the past in order to find out about the origin of the human
language. Herodotus, a Greek writer, reported the experiment of Pharaoh, named Psamtik’
on two children who grew up in the company of a mute shepherd and goats, after a while,
they uttered the Phrygian word “Bekos” which means “”Bread”. So the Pharaoh concluded that
this language is God-given language.
We also find different evidence and proofs in other cultures and religions confirming that
God is the source of language, such as believed in Islam and Christianity, where it is
mentioned that God gave Adam language and this later spread it to his offspring
2. The Natural Sound Source:
The basic idea in this view, is that primitive words could have been imitations of natural
sounds. Several nicknames were given to different theories concerning the origins of the
speech, the Bow-Wow” and the “Pooh-Pooh” are among them.
3. The “Bow-Wow” Theory:
According to this theory, the early humans tried to imitate the sounds and used them
to refer to things associated with them. The supporters of this theory argue that the
existence of words like splash, bang, boom, and of course bow-wow,in the modern
language is evidence of their claim.
4. The “Pooh-Pooh” Theory:
When it comes to this view, the original sounds were derived from the natural cries
of emotion, or exclamations, that people make in certain circumstances, such as joy,
pain, and anger. Ouch, Ah, Oh, or Yuck are some interjections that could support this
view.
5. The Social Interaction Theory:
This theory places the development of human language in a social context. Early people must
lave lived in groups, if only because larger groups offered better protection from attack
Groups are necessarily social organizations, and to maintain those organizations,
some form of communication is required, even if it is just grunts and curses. Sounds, then,
would have some principled use in the social interaction of early human groups.
Extensive Reading
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