Human Language Origins and Linguistic Features

There are more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world, but 90% of the population speaks only 10% of them.

We don’t know exactly how language originated. However, some type of spoken language must have developed between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, and written language around 5,000 years ago.

Key Areas of Linguistics

• Linguistics: The scientific study of human language.
• Grammar: The study of language structure (the rules we follow).
• Morphology: The study of the formation and composition of words.
• Syntax: The study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences.
• Semantics: The study of meaning.
• Pragmatics: The study of meaning in context.
• Phonology: The study of how sounds are organized and used in natural languages.
• Phonetics: The study of the physical realization of speech sounds.

Theories on the Origin of Language

Divine Source

This theory suggests that God gave us the ability to speak, providing language as a gift.

The Psammetichus Experiment

The ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Psammetichus conducted an experiment with two newborn babies. After two years of isolation, except for the company of goats and a mute shepherd, the children reportedly uttered the word "bekos," identified as the Phrygian word for "bread." The pharaoh concluded that Phrygian must be the original language. However, this experiment is widely considered inconclusive and unethical by modern standards.

Natural Sound Source

• Bow-wow theory: This theory proposes that primitive words could have been imitations of natural sounds that early humans heard around them, such as "splash," "boom," and "bang." This is supported by onomatopoeia, words that sound similar to the noises they describe.
• Interjections: Sounds like "ouch," "ah," and "ooh" are usually produced with sudden intakes of breath, which is the opposite of ordinary speech. These noises, made during emotional reactions, contain sounds not typically used in speech production and are unlikely candidates as source sounds for language.
• Yo-he-ho theory: This theory suggests that language originated from the sounds made during physical effort.

Physical Adaptation

This theory posits that our bodies evolved to develop language as humans evolved. Several physical features support this idea:

• Teeth: Human teeth are upright, not slanting outwards like those of apes. They are better adapted for grinding and chewing, rather than ripping or tearing food.
• Lips: Human lips have more intricate muscle interlacing than other primates, and their flexibility helps in making sounds like "p" or "b."
• Mouth: The human mouth is relatively small compared to other primates and can be opened and closed rapidly.
• Tongue: The human tongue can be used to shape a wide variety of sounds inside the oral cavity.
• Larynx: The larynx, containing the vocal folds, dropped to a lower position as humans assumed an upright posture.
• Pharynx: The pharynx, located above the vocal folds, acts as a resonator, increasing the range and clarity of sounds produced by the larynx and vocal tract.