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    Alvin M

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    Runmel Emmanuel Ramal Dampios
    The document discusses the mystery surrounding the origins and evolution of human language. It examines early theories from the 18th and 19th centuries that have since been discredited, such as the Bow-Wow and Ding-Dong theories. Modern scholars have debated whether language emerged gradually through continuity or suddenly through discontinuity. They also debate whether language began in one place like Africa or evolved independently in multiple locations. While evidence is limited, researchers study language acquisition, primate communication, and archaeological finds to better understand how and when language first developed.

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    Alvin M

    Uploaded by

    Runmel Emmanuel Ramal Dampios
    14 views2 pages
    The document discusses the mystery surrounding the origins and evolution of human language. It examines early theories from the 18th and 19th centuries that have since been discredited, such as the Bow-Wow and Ding-Dong theories. Modern scholars have debated whether language emerged gradually through continuity or suddenly through discontinuity. They also debate whether language began in one place like Africa or evolved independently in multiple locations. While evidence is limited, researchers study language acquisition, primate communication, and archaeological finds to better understand how and when language first developed.

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    ALVIN-M

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    The document discusses the mystery surrounding the origins and evolution of human language. It examines early theories from the 18th and 19th centuries that have since been discredited, such as the Bow-Wow and Ding-Dong theories. Modern scholars have debated whether language emerged gradually through continuity or suddenly through discontinuity. They also debate whether language began in one place like Africa or evolved independently in multiple locations. While evidence is limited, researchers study language acquisition, primate communication, and archaeological finds to better understand how and when language first developed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    14 views2 pages

    Alvin M

    Uploaded by

    Runmel Emmanuel Ramal Dampios
    The document discusses the mystery surrounding the origins and evolution of human language. It examines early theories from the 18th and 19th centuries that have since been discredited, such as the Bow-Wow and Ding-Dong theories. Modern scholars have debated whether language emerged gradually through continuity or suddenly through discontinuity. They also debate whether language began in one place like Africa or evolved independently in multiple locations. While evidence is limited, researchers study language acquisition, primate communication, and archaeological finds to better understand how and when language first developed.

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    of 2

    ALVIN M.

    MIRON
    BSED2 - ENGLISH/BLK2

    ORIGIN AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE

    How was Language Created?


    How did language start? Scholars continue to ponder when and how language emerged as
    they have for centuries. Language is a communication system comprising sounds, words, and
    grammar. The origins of human language are a mystery. Most historians believe that language began
    150,000 years ago, while written language appeared 6000 years ago.
    When did humans evolve language? The theories of language evolution have been a
    controversial topic of debate among scholars such as linguists, archeologists, biologists, and
    anthropologists. The topic is so contentious that in 1866 the Linguistic Society of Paris forbade further
    research into the origins of language.
    What was the first language spoken? Studying the origin of language presents many
    challenges; there is little evidence to provide insight into early language. Scholars can only make
    inferences on how, why, and when language began. Many theories on the origins and evolution of
    language have been made; however, none have been confirmed.

    Approaches to Understanding the Evolution of Language


    To unravel the mystery, scholars have used alternative measures to draw inferences about the
    origins of language. These measures include:
     Comparing language with primates and humans.
     Studying language acquisition in children.
     Anatomical evolution.
     Archeological evidence.

    The research is inconclusive and is open to interpretation. Two categories of thought have emerged
    from the investigations: continuity and discontinuity.
    Continuity theorists recognize how complex language is and infer that language had to evolve
    as humans did. The theory claims that forms of non-verbal communication existed prior, just as verbal
    language predates forms of written language. Discontinuity theorists argue nearly the opposite. This
    theory claims that language is spontaneous and is exclusive to humans.
    Furthermore, another intellectual camp considers where and when language began. Some
    scholars believe language was a single spontaneous occurrence in Africa. These scholars are
    monogenesis, sometimes called the "Mother Tongue theories" or "Out of Africa theories". Opposing
    this view is polygenesis theorist. As the name implies that language began in multiple places and
    times. Scholars argue that early human ancestors lived in places other than Africa, and each
    language evolved independently from the others. This notion is supported by the diverse languages
    that remain today.
    Early Theories of the Development of Language
    Many theories emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries. The theories were
    produced by famous linguists such as German philologist Max Muller and
    British evolutionary biologist George Romanes. The theories have been
    given whimsical nicknames teasing at their simplicity. Today, these
    theories have been discredited.

    (Max Muller Professor of Comparative Philology


    at Oxford University, 1878)

     Bow-Wow Theory states that natural sounds initiate language. The early language began
    when hominid ancestors mimicked the onomatopoeic sound. Examples would be ribbit, woof,
    meow, and bang. This theory does not take into account variations of sounds between
    languages.
     Ding-Dong Theory suggests that language is intertwined with nature. Early Greek
    philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras favored this theory, believing humans react to their
    environment. For example, round objects would require a round oral formation. Despite the
    longevity of the theory, there is no evidence to demonstrate sound and meaningful
    connections.
     La, La Theory explains that language evolved through song and music. An example could be
    whistling or humming. The theory ignores rational and complex language aspects.
     Pooh-pooh Theory claims that language begins spontaneously through sounds that naturally
    occur, such as "ouch." The interjections produced are emotionally driven. The criticism is that
    typically, languages only contain a few interjections and do not follow traditional phonology.
     Ta, Ta Theory proposes that language began when humans made sounds to imitate gestures.
    One example comes from the name Ta, Ta, used to say goodbye. The motion of waving
    goodbye is imitated by the tongue in the mouth and produces the sound Ta, Ta.
     Yo-He-Ho Theory argues that language arose from rhythmic grunts and groans during manual
    labor. This theory does not speculate how these sounds were transformed into meaningful
    language.

    How did language begin?

    The origins of language are a mystery and have been debated for centuries. Because of the
    limited availability of evidence, scholars can only theorize how, when and where language began.

    What causes the evolution of language?

    Language can change for many reasons, including human evolution. As humans evolve, the
    ability to use language also does. Language can change to be more time effective and efficient as the
    needs of humans change.

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