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Origin of Language

Origin of language is an amazing riddle. Linguists could not trace out a tangible evidence to verify various hunches ( feel that something is true, without any evidence) about it. Long discussions about the origin of language proved fruitless. In consequence, "Paris linguistic society 'founded in 1866 passed the bylaws that banned this discussion. The linguists nicknamed them in different ways. Following is the detail:

1. The Divine Source

According to one view God created Adam and taught him certain names. Whatever, Adam called every living creature that was the name thereof. According to Hindu concept, language sprang from the head of the goddess "Sarasvati" the wife of Brahma, the creator of the universe. Its basic hypothesis accrued (to increase over a period of time) from the ideas that if infants were allowed to grow up without hearing any language, then they would spontaneously begin using the original God given language.
This theory proved a hunch, since no empirical evidence supported it. However, different experiments were conducted but to no result. An Egyptian Pharaoh 600 B.C (a ruler of ancient Egypt) experiment on two new born infants to grow up without hearing any language. After two years in the company of goats and a mute shepherd, the children were reported to have used spontaneously the "Phrygian" word "Bekos" naming bread. The Pharaoh concluded in that "Phrgian" must be the original language. That seems unlikely. Several commentators hold the view that the children must have heard what the goats uttered.
King James IV of Scotland carried out a similar experiment around A.D 1500. The children were reported to have started speaking Hebrew. If human language did emerge from a divine source we have no way of reconstructing that original language.
Plato argued that one legislator ( a member of group, making laws) gave the correct natural names to all things.

2.The Natural Sound Source

I) Bow-wow theory
II) Pooh-Pooh theory

I)Bow-wow Theory:

It is speculated that primitive (example of work before Renaissance) words could have been imitation of the natural sounds which early men and women heard about them for example, coo-coo (dove,pigeon) , baa (sheep) , splash (of liquid, to fall noisily onto a surface) , oink ( pig), bang (a sudden loud sound) , thud (a sound like the one which is made when a heavy object hits something else) etc. It is called onomatopoeia which implies that language began when human started naming objects after a relevant sound. That was already involved in everyday life. 

Criticism:

This theory is insufficient. It does not consider abstract ideas like Justice, love, hate etc. It does not assist (to help somebody to do something) in teaching grammar. Furthermore onomatopoeia varies a lot from language to language. Hence the theory is based on a very limited hypothesis.  

II) Pooh-Pooh Theory

According to this theory human language may have started as natural cries of emotions such as expressions of pain , anger, joy, surprise etc. For example ouch! Ah! Hey! (Expressing surprise are anger ) etc.

Criticism:

These sounds are produced by sudden intakes of breath, which is not the case for ordinary speech. Emotional sounds are not otherwise used in speech production.

3. Social Interaction Source

It entails two theories:
I) Yo-Heave-Ho theory
II) La-La Theory

Yo-Heave-Ho theory:

According to this theory language arose out of rhythmical grunts of people working together , involved  in physical work. Human of stone Age may have developed a set of grunts and curses while doing a tough work.

Criticism:

It makes some sense in groups of early humans who must have lived in groups. However, this theory is the ultimate reality, since it does not help in learning abstract and grammatical expressions.

La-La thoery:

According to this theory language originated from an expressive rather than communicative need. It emerged from the sounds of inspired playfulness, love, songs, poetic sensibility etc. It was the upshot of romantic side of man. According to Otto Jesperson, "Language was born in courting days of mankind"(1921).

Criticism:

It seems to be a lovely supposition. It does not account for syntax, pronunciation, abstract vocabulary.

4. Oral Gesture Source

This concept is the source of Ta-Ta theory. This theory proposes extremely specific between physical and oral gesture. It is claimed that a set of physical gestures was developed in which the movement of the lips etc. was recognized according to the patterns of movement of the Tongue, and mouth, for example, in a 'good bye' message is represented in the waving of hand or arm for a similar message.

Criticism:

We can use special gesture for variety of communication process, but it is hard to visualize the actual "Oral Aspect", which would reflect many such gestures.

5. Physiological Adaptation Source

Physical features that distinguish humans from other creatures may have supported speech production. Evolutionary development resulted from partial adaptation making speech possible for early human, for example,

a) Teeth

Human teeth have upright position not standing outward like those of apes. They are roughly even in height, good for grinding and chewing. They are very helpful in making sounds like F,V and Th.

b) Lips

These are more flexible than those of other animals. These have much more intricate(having a lot of different parts) muscles than found in other primates. These help in producing sounds like p,b and w.

c) Mouth

The human mouth is relatively small. These can be opened and closed rapidly. It contains a very flexible tongue which can be used to shape a whole variety of sound.

d) Larynx

It contains vocal cords. It acts as a resonator for any sounds produced via larynx.

e) Pharynx

It is a cavity above the vocal cords. It acts as a resonator for any sounds produced via larynx.

f) Human Brain

It has specialized function in each of the two hemispheres. These functions are largely confined to the left hemispheres. The use of language is connected to the left hemisphere. 

6. Glossogenetics

It is reelected to Darwin's concept and theory of evolution. It focuses mainly on the biological basis of the formation and development of the human life. It starts with the observation that at some early stage our human ancestors made the transition to an upright posture, with bi-pedal (two legged) motion and a revised role for the front limbs in the evolutionary development. There are certain physical features , best thought of as partial adaptation that appear to be relevant for speech. By Themselves, such features would not lead to  speech production, but they are food clues.

7. Interaction and Transaction

Interactional Function:

Interactional function has to do with humans's use of languages to interact with each other socially or emotionally, how they indicate friendliness, co-operation, hostility, annoyance, pain, pleasure etc.

Transactional Function:

It shows how humans use their linguistic ability to communicate knowledge, skill and information. This function must have developed in part, for the transaction of knowledge from one generation to the next. This transfer function of language remains fairly restricted in time and space as long as it can only be realized in speech. The desire for a more permanent record of what was known must have been the primary motivation for the development of inscriptions, and eventually of written language.

NOTE: Other two sources of the Origin of Language

8. The Genetic Source

According to this theory, human offspring( human or particular person or couple) are born with a special capacity of language. It is innate , no other creature seems to have it , and it is not tied to a specific variety of language.

9. The Tool Making Source

It is believed that human language developed because of manual gestures which proved to be a precursor of language.

Conclusion:

After a century of the banishment of the language origin issue, linguists started to reconsider it, but in a different light. They began to use evidence from biological features of early human beings and hominids. They speculated about what kinds of vocalizations gave rise to speech sounds and considered which physical, cognitive and social factors must have contributed to the formation of language. 




 






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