1. Bowles CIED 4013 Week Two Language and Languages
CIED 4013: Fall 2013
Language and Languages

2. The origins of language
“The gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically, setting us apart from the rest of life.”
Lewis Thomas in The Lives of a Cell, 1974, p. 89
Language is
a system with
signs produced
vocally by
humans for
communication.

3. How and when did language begin?
We really don’t know!
Some say a divinity provided us with language.

4. How and when did language begin?
Some say it was “echoic”—produced by imitating natural sounds. Others postulate that language was based on sounds produced by group actions or activities—”yo-he-ho”! Was it a physical adaptation? Or was there a “pre-language” based on the use of gestures, where sound was used for emphasis?

5. How and when did language begin?
Or maybe we are just “wired” to develop language. What do YOU think?

6. Can animals Communicate?
Is this communication? Is it language? What informative signals are you communicating today?

7. Human language is unique
We talk ABOUT language ( I don’t like the way that sounds.)
We talk about things that HAPPENED and things that MIGHT HAPPEN and things and events that are NOT PRESENT and may not even EXIST.
We assign symbols (words) to objects that have no relationship.
We create NEW words and utterances.
Our language reflects our culture.
Language is economical.