1. T HE ORIGINS OF LANGUAGE

2. We simply don’t know how language originated. We suspect (think, imagine) that some type of spoken language developed between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago There is no direct physical evidence related to the speech of our ancestor that might tell us how language was back in the early stage. Therefore we can only speculate (guess)

3. T HE DIVINE ( GODLY ) SOURCE Theories: In most religions, there appears to be a divine source that provides human with language. The name theory The biblical tradition God created Adam “whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name theory” The Hindu tradition Language came from Sarasvati, wife of Brahma, creator of the universe.

4. T HE DIVINE ( GODLY ) SOURCE Experiments: To rediscover the original divine language a few experiments have been carried out: The Egyptian pharaoh experiment. King James the fourth of Scotland. Very young children living without access to human language in their early years grow up with no language at all.

5. T HE NATURAL SOUND SOURCE Primitive words could have been imitations of the natural sounds which early men and women heard around them.

6. T HE NATURAL SOUND SOURCE Theories: The “bow-wow” theory Ex: CAW-CAW, COO-COO, Splash, bang, boom, Onomatopoeic: Echoing natural sound. But, What about soundless and abstract things? Language is not only a set of words used as ‘names’ for things. Natural cries of emotion Ex: Ah, Ooh, Ouch. It is produced with sudden intake of breath, which is opposite of ordinary talk. The ‘yo-he-ho’ theory

7. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Instead of looking at the type of sounds as the source of human speech, we can look at the type of physical features human possess. Especially those that is distinct from other creatures.

8. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Teeth, lips, mouth, larynx, pharynx

9. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Teeth Human teeth are upright and even in height. They are good for girding and chewing not useful for ripping and tearing food. They are very helpful in making sound like f or v

10. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Lips Have much more complex muscle structure than other creatures. Lips flexibility helps in making sounds like p or b.

11. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Mouth Relatively small Can be opened and closed rapidly Contains a smaller, thicker, and more muscle.

12. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Tongue Can be used to shape variety of sound inside the oral cavity.

13. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE The overall effects of these small differences taken together is a face with complex muscle structure in the lip and mouth, capable of a wider range of shapes and more rapid delivery of sound produce though these different shapes.

14. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE larynx ‘voice box’ (contain the vocal cords) Lower position

15. T HE PHYSICAL ADAPTATION SOURCE Pharynx Above the vocal cord Extra vocal power Increased range and clarity of the sounds produced via the larynx

16. T HE GENETIC SOURCE The human brain is more powerful than small physical adaptations therefore scholars looked at it as the source of language. Ex: deaf child becomes fluent sign language user. This indicate that human are born with special capacity for language

17. T HE GENETIC SOURCE The innateness hypothesis Language capacity is genetics

18. H OMEWORK Study questions # 4, 6