ELS102: Theories on the Origin of Language

• ELS102 explores theories of language and language acquisition, focusing on the origins of language
• Week 1 and 2 will specifically discuss the origins of language

Learning Outcomes

• The primary hypotheses regarding the origin of language will be discussed
• Challenges and limitations of studying the origins of language will be evaluated

Introduction

• The origin of language is one of humanity's greatest mysteries
• Scholars debate whether language was a divine gift, a result of natural human cognition, or a cultural innovation born out of necessity
• Understanding early theories, evolution, and scientific debates can give insight into humans' ability to communicate
• Examining the origins allows reflection on what makes language uniquely human and how it evolves

The Divine Source

• One belief attributes language to a divine creator
• According to Biblical Tradition, God created Adam and allowed him to name all living creatures, suggesting that language has a divine origin
• Within the Hindu Tradition, language is attributed to Sarasvati, the universe's creator and the wife of Brahma
• Some experiments were conducted to "rediscover" language by isolating infants from human speech, to see if they would develop a "spontaneous" divine language

Rediscovering Language Experiments

• Some experiments aimed to find this original divine language by isolating infants from human speech
• Hypothesis: Infants would develop a spontaneous, original language without human influence
• Psammetichus, an Egyptian pharaoh, isolated two newborns with goats and a mute shepherd
• After two years, the children reportedly said "bekos," identified as a Phrygian word for 'bread'
• The pharaoh concluded that Phrygian was the original language, a conclusion that is considered unlikely
• Critics suggest the children may have mimicked goat sounds instead
• King James IV conducted a similar experiment around 1500, with children reportedly speaking Hebrew
• Isolation cases show that children do not develop language without human interaction
• This contradicts the idea of spontaneous language development from divine sources

The Natural Sound Source

• This theory suggests that primitive words came about by mimicking sounds humans encountered
• Example: If a bird made a "caw-caw" sound, early humans might have used that sound to refer to the bird itself

'Bow-Wow' Theory

• The "bow-wow" theory states that language came from imitative sounds for words that echo natural sounds
• The theory struggles to explain how abstract concepts and soundless objects could be represented in a language based on imitating natural sounds

Emotional Cries

• It is thought that original language sounds may have stemmed from natural emotional cries
• The expression of pain or joy ("Ouch!") is an example
• Interjections like "Ouch!" involve sudden intakes of breath
• Exhaled breath is typically used in spoken language meaning interjections are less likely to be the origin of structured language

'Yo-He-Ho' Theory

• This theory proposes sounds made during physical exertion in a social context led to language development
• Early humans may have created a set of sounds to coordinate their efforts, emphasizing the social aspect of it
• The origins of the sounds themselves are unclear

Limitations of Natural Sound Theories

• Natural sound theories provide insight on the origins of language
• Natural sound theories don't discuss how language evolved
• Other primates have vocalizations, but lack the capacity for complex primate speech

The Physical Adaptation Source

• Unique human features and characteristics assist in speech production
• Humans transitioned to an upright posture and bipedal locomotion which helped in language development
• This change also altered the structure and function of the human body

Comparative Anatomy and Evolution

• There are skull structure differences between modern humans and other primates like gorillas
• The Neanderthal skull, which is 60,000 years old, shows physical adaptations that suggest the ability to produce consonant-like sounds
• Skeletons resembling humans appeared 35,000 years ago, which shows an evolution of speech production
• Partial adaptations are relevant for speech and suggest creatures possessing them could be capable of some speech

Implications for Speech Capacity

• Physical adaptations indicate a species may have the capability for speech
• Anatomical and physiological changes shift the focus from sound production

The Human Brain

• The size of the human brain is significant for controlling cognitive functions including sound production
• One aspect is advanced cognitive abilities
• Brains are also lateralized, meaning different functions are specialized in each hemisphere
• The left hemisphere controls motor functions related to speech and tool use which suggests a connection between language and the ability to manipulate objects

Evolutionary Connection and Communication

• A link may exist between language and tool use, both likely contributed to the development of the human brain's communication capacity
• The cognitive processes involved in using tools have parallels in the processes required for language
• Early forms of human communication involved simple sounds
• Early human communication lacked the structural organization of modern languages

Need for Organization

• All languages (including sign languages) need to be organized and combine sounds or signs in specific ways
• Humans developed specialized brain functions to facilitate language
• This allows for more complex communication

Analogy with Tool-Making

• Tool-making illustrates the process of language development
• Just as making a tool requires multiple objects, language requires a combination to create messages
• Humans hypothesized to develop in stages, starting with words and specific sounds evolving into structured sentences over thousands of years

Uniqueness

• Humans have an advantage over other primates in complex, structured sentence expression
• Their capability in nuance sets human language apart from other communication

Genetic Source

• At birth, a human baby's brain is 25% of its adult weight, and the larynx is high in the throat, so they are able to breathe and drink simultaneously
• Over time, the baby grows, the larynx descends, walking and talking start

Development in Infants

• Young children developments physically and cognitively are almost automatic
• This development raises questions about how this occurs
• Children are able to become fluent in languages early in life, even sign language, which suggests humans are born with this innate capacity or ability
• Genetic mutation may enable the innate ability, also known as innateness hypothesis
• The mutation might also be gradual

Rapid Evolution and Change

• Genetic language basis implies that it didn't develop slowly over time but rapidly
• Investigative inquiry shifts from evidence like fossils to concepts like structure
• The human capacity has been likened to a computer in how it obtains and uses information
• Investigation into language origins leads to the thought that humans have a language gene that distinguishes them from others

Tasks

Task 1: Watch

• When We First Talked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCW0zyDGuXc
• Consider factors that may have contributed to the evolution of human speech
• Consider the relationship between brain development and the ability to speak
• Consider the role that social interactions have within language development

Task 2: Watch

• The Origins and Evolution of Language | Michael Corballis | TEDxAuckland: https://www.youtube.com/wathc?v=nd5cklw6d6Q
• Consider Michael Corballis' explanation in how gestural communication has contributed to the evolution of language
• Consider the arguments against "sudden linguistic mutation"
• Consider how language diversification corresponds with cultural adaptation

Task 3: Investigate

• Investigate What exactly happened at Babel and why is it used in explanations of language origins?