Where does language come from? Does it come from a divine source or are we, as humans, genetically predisposed with the capability to speak? According to Charles Darwin, the earliest known humans already had a musical ability of communicating with each other. While humans do have the ability to produce sounds and simple vocal patterns due to an ancient part of the brain that we share with all vertebras, the reality is that we simply don’t know where language originated from. There are, however, a few theories. The first theory states that language originates from a divine source. If this theory were true, it would mean that a child could grow up without hearing any language around them yet still be able to speak the original God-given language. While tests have been carried out that supposedly confirm this theory, there have also been examples of this theory not being true. It’s also important to note that these tests were performed hundreds of years ago. If language was a God-given, then wild or feral children would be able to speak the original God-given language, but this is not the case. Children living in isolation grow up with no language at all. The second theory, called the Natural Sound Source or the Bow-Wow theory, states that the ability to produce language is the natural progression from producing sounds. This means that early humans imitated sounds in nature to create language, such as imitating a bird’s caw. This is called onomatopoeia. However, one flaw in this theory is that it does not explain how humans would have developed words for soundless objects or concepts. Similarly to this concept is the Pooh-Pooh theory, which states that language developed from humans natural cries of emotion. Another theory is that language developed socially, by rhythmical grunts that early humans used to communicate with one another. This theory makes sense when thinking about the fact that early humans lived in groups and thus had to have a way to communicate with one another. While this is a good theory, other animals such as monkeys also make the same noises and they have not yet developed the capability for speech. On the same branch of the social development of language, there is the theory that language originated musically rather than as a need for communication. Another theory is the The physical Adaptation source. This theory states that humans are created in such a way to support speech production. Our teeth, mouth, lips, tongue, larynx, and pharynx are different than other animals, making it easier for humans to produce speech. For example, human tongues are in an upright position, making it helpful to make sounds such as “f” or “v.” Our lips also have intricate muscle interlacing and are more flexible, which is helpful to make sounds such as “b” or “p.” Like our rongue, our larynx is in an upright position, this makes our pharynx longer, which means an increased range and clear sounds. The next theory is The tool making source theory. This states that our brain developed language in the same way that it developed tool making. This means that humans grabbed two components, such as using two tools to make objects, to form language. for example using the word “beer” and adding another component, such as “good,” to express “beer good,” which developed over time to “the beer is good.” The last theory is the genetic source, which states that the capability for language is genetically hardwired into our brains as newborns. This theory states that language is automatically developed. If this were true, it would mean that humans have a “language gene,” which only we possess. If the language gene were true, it begs the question on whether we will be the only creatures capable of language. While all of these theories have some basis in fact, there is no clear conclusion as to how language originated. It is important to remember that all of these theories are just that: theories.
