Origin of Language in Linguistics l origin of language theories l Origin of Language Assignment l Origin of Language by George Yule

One belief holds that God created Adam and named everything after him: "whatsoever Adam named everything that has been the name therewith". Language is said to have been born as a result of the goddess Saraswati (Indian mythology's embodiment of knowledge and wisdom).

Most religions hold that human language was bestowed to them by a benevolent power. Generally speaking, every civilization has a mythical origin story for its language. Additional evidence suggests that the writing systems used to express alphabetic letters or ideographs are often based on celestial imagery is available.

The Theory of the Natural Source of Sound:
The Natural Sound Source Hypothesis states that ancient people learned to talk by mimicking the sounds of nature they heard around them. This idea may have risen up since all languages contain words that appear to mirror already-existing natural sounds. In the English language, a few examples include: "bow-wow," "boom," and "buzz." In fact, the "bow-wow theory" is the name given to this idea about the origins of language.

Despite the abundance of echoic and onomatopoeic words in English, it's difficult to fathom how people could have conveyed such sophisticated ideas and emotions in languages that just used natural sounds. This idea holds that the way we hear and mimic nature's sounds are influenced by the language we use. Roasters, for example, crow in English "cock-a-doodle-doo," Hindi "kuk-ru-ka-roo," and German "kikeriki."

First steps in the evolution of human communication:
There are numerous theories about the origins of language, but no one knows for sure. These concepts have catchy names, yet they received little consideration. Various theories were advanced throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Their six theories of linguistics are as follows:

1. Pooh pooh theory

Language evolved as a result of unknowingly expressed emotions in the voice

2. Bow-wow theory

Animal screams were ancestors of human language.

3. Ding dong theory

Nature's noises shaped the origins of language.

4. Ye-he-ho theory

Language emerged as a result of screamed noises

5. Ta-ta theory

The vocalization of gestures led to the emergence of language.

6. Ta-ra-ra-boom-de ay theory

The sounds used in dancing and ceremonial chanting were the basis for language development.

Main Influential Linguists

• William Jones (1746-1794)
• Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)
• Noam Chomsky (1928-)

Youtube Lecture: Origin of Language in Linguistics