The Origins of Human Language

1
The Origins of Human Language

• Yule, George (1996). The Study of Language.
  Cambridge Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 1)

2
Theories about the Origin of Language

• Otto Jespersen (1921)
• Human language originated while human beings were
  enjoying themselves

3
The Divine Source Theory

• In most religions divine source provides humans
  with language
• Genesis (219) God created Adam and whatsoever
  Adam called every living creature that was the
  name thereof

4
The Divine Source Theory

• Hindu
• Language comes from goddess Sarasvati, wife of
  Brahma, creator of the universe

5
Experiments

• Egyptian pharaoh Psammetichus (600 B.C)
• two new-born infants
• two years in the company of a mute shepard
• Phrygian word bekos (meaning bread)

6
Experiments

• James IV of Scotland
• similar experiment
• children were reported to have started speaking
  Hebrew

7
The Natural Sounds Source Theory

• Hypothesis primitive words are imitations of the
  natural sounds which early man and women heard
  around them
• E.g. object flew by ? cuckoo sound?name cuckoo

8
The Natural Sounds Source Theory

• Explanation for onomatopoe(t)ic words
• splash, bang, boom, rattle, buzz, hiss
• Also called bow-wow (Wauwau) theory of language

9
The Natural Sounds Source Theory

• Natural cries of emotion pain, anger, joy?
• e.g. ouch
• Yo-heave-ho theory sounds of a person involved
  in physical effort e.g. when lifting trees or
  mammoths

10
The Oral Gesture Source Theory

• hypothesis link between physical gesture and
  orally produced sounds
• developed by Sir Richard Paget (1930)
• movement of the tongue when saying goodbye
  resembles movement of waving of the hand

11
Physiological Adaptation Theory

• physical features of human beings good clues for
  their capacity for speech
• human teeth upright, even in height
• human lips flexibility, needed for sounds like
  p,b and w

12
Physiological Adaptation Theory

• human larynx (Kehlkopf) position lower than with
  monkeys
• ? longer cavity called pharynx (Rachenhöhle) acts
  as resonator

13
Physiological Adaptation Theory

• human brain lateralized
• has special functions in each of the two
  hemispheres
• left hemisphere analytic, tool using, language
• right hemisphere holistic, music, visuo-spatial
  skills