How Did Language Start?
Every modern language is very complex with its own alphabet and vocabulary. But we don’t know a lot about the ancestors of our vernaculars. Linguists have made any theories and established language families based on them. But we don’t know the origins of language for certain. Along with making theories about the origin of language, scientists have also pondered over the question “when did humans start speaking languages?” We cannot go back in time and get definite answers. But researchers can study the evolution of modern humans and languages to predict the origins.
Continuity Theories
One of the most popular approaches regarding the evolution of language is that people did not develop a language system overnight. The believers of these theories think that language is too complex to fully form out of nowhere. They think that our primate ancestors and their pre-linguistic systems influenced the evolution of language among humans. The hypotheses that humans began imitating natural sounds and the voices of animals that later turned into a language supports the continuity idea. Many hypotheses regarding language evolution have been postulated by researchers who believe in the continuity theories. One hypothesis is that humans began to make sounds that matched their manual gestures and that ultimately led to the evolution of languages.
Discontinuity Theories
Those who believe in the discontinuity idea think that language is a unique trait of the human species. They think apes and chimpanzees did not have anything like a language for communication. Believers of the discontinuity idea think that a chance mutation occurred in humans and installed a language faculty in their mid-brain. After that, the human mind developed the ability to create complex spoken languages and use them in daily lives. Some scientists believe that modern humans developed the physical ability to speak languages because of evolution. They think that the change in vocal anatomy allowed people to speak essential vowel sounds. But this does not answer the questions about human ancestors and when did they begin to speak a language.
Innate Approach
Some theories suggest that language is genetically encoded in people. Those who believe that language is an innate faculty avoid making theories about the animal communication systems. They think that the process of language evolution took place gradually. Some theorists suggest that common language evolved from human cognition. This suggests that human brains played a major role in the evolution of languages.
Cultural Systems
There are also theories that suggest that language developed as a result of culture. Social interactions allowed children and adults to learn a language. According to those who support the cultural approach, language development occurred because of the cognitively controlled communication systems of primates. These cognitively controlled aspects led to the development of gestural communication instead of vocal language abilities. The vocal precursors evolved from the human capacity for songs. Bird calls are songs in nature. But humans used songs to tell stories and convey emotions.
One Language
This theory suggests that all the official languages of today and the past originated from a single tongue. As a species, humans led nomadic lives in the beginning. As a result, the language spoken by the whole population started changing gradually. Each community affected the grammar of the language and changed the context behind words. Over time, the protolanguage developed new rules of syntax, placement of articles, unique vocalizations, and culturally appropriate phrases. New concepts were introduced to the language to accommodate its speakers. As the protolanguage got divided into multiple languages, many differences developed between them. There is no proof to back these speculations. There is no survey that can help us gain a better understanding of ancient civilizations. But the one language argument is very compelling.