Chapter 1:The Origins of Language

Darwin proposed that early humans used music and rhythm before language to express emotions. Besides, spoken language must have developed between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, well before written language (about 5,000 years ago).

The Divine Source

Human infants grow up without hearing any language, they will use the original God-given language. In the Bible, God created Adam, and whatever name Adam gave every living thing became the name of that thing. Historical accounts, like Pharaoh Psammetichus and later experiments by King James IV and Emperor Akbar, did not confirm a divine origin for language. Real-world cases of isolated children, like Victor and Genie, show that language does not develop spontaneously without exposure.

The Natural Sound Source

A quite different view of the beginnings of language is based on the concept of natural sounds. The human auditory system is already functioning before birth.

The “bow-wow” theory

The "bow-wow" theory posits that early humans developed language by mimicking natural sounds like animal noises, using these imitations to name objects even when they weren't present. Ex: cuckoo, splash, bang, boom, rattle, buzz, hiss screech, bow-wow.

The “Pooh-Pooh” Theory

Speech developed from instinctive sounds that humans make in emotional situations (pain, anger, joy,...) .For example: Ouch!, Ah!, Ooh!, Phew!, Wow! or Yuck!

The Social Interaction Source

The "yo-he-ho" theory proposes that language originated from the sounds made during group physical efforts, such as lifting heavy objects or hunting together.Early people lived in groups (better protection from attack),required communication and sounds had some principled use in their social interaction.But it does not explain the origins of these sounds or why humans developed speech while other social animals like apes did not.

The Physical Adaptation Source

When our ancestors changed the way we walked on two legs, it also changed our breathing,allows long articulations on outgoing breath, with short in-breaths

in the study of evolutionary development there are clues to these characteristics in fossils bone structure similar to modern humans.

Teeth and lips

- Human teeth: upright, not slanting outwards like those of apes,roughly even in height, much smaller, helpful in making sounds such as /f/ or /v/.

- Human lips: have much more intricate muscle interlacing than in other primates, flexibility helps in making sounds like /p/, /b/, and /m/.

Mouth and tongue

-Human mouth: small compared to other primates, can be opened and closed rapidly + part of an extended vocal tract that has more of an L-shape than the straight path from front to back in other mammals

-Human tongue: shorter, thicker and more muscular => used to shape a wide variety of sounds close off the airway through the nose to create more air pressure.Moreover, it capable of a wider range of shapes and a more rapid, powerful delivery of sounds.

Larynx and Pharynx

The human larynx, situated lower due to upright posture, creates a longer pharynx above the vocal folds, enhancing vocal range and clarity but increasing the risk of choking on food.

The Tool-Making Source

There is evidence that humans developed right-handedness and made tools from stone, which is also evidence that the brain is working.

The Human Brain

Large relative to human body size lateralized has specialized functions in each of the  hemispheres. Recent studies show similar brain activity patterns in stonecutters crafting tools and thinking of specific words, indicating shared neural circuits, akin to combining sounds in language development. Ex: beer, good to create a message ( this beer is good) which not seen in other primates.

The Genetic Source

At birth, the baby’s brain is only a quarter of its eventual weight and the larynx is much higher in the throat, allowing babies, like chimpanzees, to breathe and drink at the same time.In a relatively short period of time, the larynx descends,the brain develops, the child assumes an upright posture and starts walking and talking.Even children who are born deaf can use sign language fluently.

The Innateness Hypothesis

Genetic mutations linked to changes in diet and increased calorie intake in humans enhance brain development and may contribute to language ability. Research has shown that mutations in the FOXP2 gene can lead to language impairment.