Lesson 6

• Mama theory


  Language began with the easiest syllables attached to the most significant objects
• Ta-ta theory


  Language began as an unconscious vocal imitation of body movements
• Ding-dong theory


  There is a correspondence between sounds and meanings, with small, sharp, high things having words with high front vowels, and big, round, low things having round back vowels
• Bow-Wow Theory


  Humans imitated the sound of animals
• Pooh-Pooh Theory


  Words came from the sounds we make when experiencing emotions
• Yo-he-ho theory


  Language began as rhythmic chants, perhaps from the grunts of heavy work, accompanied by gestures
• Play Theory


  Humans thought it was fun to make sounds while going about their lives, and some of these sounds became connected to actions or objects
• Sing-song theory


  Language comes out of play, laughter, cooing, courtship, emotional mutterings, and the like
• Hey you! theory


  Language began as sounds to signal identity and belonging, and to cry out for help
• Hocus pocus theory


  Language may have had roots in a magical or religious aspect of our ancestors' lives, with sounds becoming the names of game animals
• Eureka! theory


  Language was consciously invented, with arbitrary sounds assigned to mean certain things
• Genetic Mutation of Chomsky


  Language was created from a genetic mutation in a human ancestor, who developed the ability to speak and understand language
• Vocal Grooming of Dubar


  As communities grew larger, humans needed a more efficient form of grooming, leading to the development of vocal communication similar to modern gossip
• "Putting the Baby down" hypothesis


  Language developed from early humans, particularly mothers, who needed to communicate with their babies while foraging, using facial expressions, body language, and tactile communication
• Whitney's Origin of Language


  Language began with the natural sound of human cries, which were then imitated and used to express feelings and be understood by others
• Biblical Account on the Origin of Language


  According to the story of the Tower of Babel, humanity once spoke a single language, but God intervened by confusing their language, causing them to disperse across the earth
• Greek Mythology - Hermes and the Invention of Language


  Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is credited with inventing the Greek alphabet and teaching language and writing to humans
• Norse Mythology - The Mead of Poetry


  The Mead of Poetry, a magical drink that bestows the gift of eloquence and poetic inspiration, symbolizes the importance of language, poetry, and storytelling in Norse culture
• Chinese Mythology - Pangu and the Creation of the World


  The myth of Pangu, a primordial being who created the world, illustrates the interconnectedness of all things and the power of creation through language and imagination
• Historical Accounts on the Development of Language


  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Classical Antiquity
  • Medieval and Renaissance Periods
  • Modern Linguistics
  • Contemporary Approaches
• Biological Evolution


  Language likely evolved gradually over millions of years through natural selection, as a byproduct of other cognitive developments
• Gesture and Vocalization


  Language may have initially evolved through manual gestures and body language, accompanied by vocalizations
• Social Interaction


  Language emerged as a means of facilitating cooperation, bonding, and group cohesion among early humans
• Cognitive Adaptations


  Language evolved as a result of specific cognitive adaptations, such as the ability to infer others' mental states and the capacity for symbolic thought and representation
• Gene-Culture Coevolution


  The evolution of language involved a complex interplay between genetic and cultural factors
• Charles Darwin


  Play Theory
• Dean Falk


  Putting the baby down Hypothesis
• A.S. Diamond


  Yo-he-ho Theory
• Otto Jesperson 


  Sing-song theory
• Revesz 


  Hey you! theory
• Max Muller


  Ding-dong theory
• Sir Richard Paget


  Ta-ta theory
• Noam Chomsky


  Genetic Mutation of Chomsky
• Robin Dubar


  Vocal Grooming
• The mead of poetry


  Norse Mythology
• Hermes


  Greek Mythology
• Pangu


  Chinese Mythology
• St. Augustine & St. Thomas Aquinas 


  Medieval & Renaissance Period
• Plato & Aristotle


  Classical Antiquity
• Ferdinand de Saussure & Noam Chomsky 


  Modern Linguistics