The Origins of Human Language

The Tool-Making Source Theory

2 million years ago,there is evidence that humans established right-handedness and became capable of making stone tools. Complex vocalization and object manipulation are close to each other in the left hemisphere of the brain, starting to bring specific noises into combination with the first to build a complex message

The Natural Sound Source Theory (bow-wow theory)

Primitives words could have been imitations of the natural sounds early men and women hear around them. Creating onomatopeias

The Divine SourceTheory

Societies believe that language is the gift of the gods to humans. (Language is a social entity)

How the Pharynx is developed?

The larynx moves down and develops the pharynx(voice box)

Genetic Source Theory

Theory that indicates that human offspring are born with a special capacity for language.

The Social Interaction Source Theory (Yo-he-ho theory)

Theory that language was developed on the basis of human effort. Places the development of human language in the social context. *no how explanation, only why*

The Physical adaptation Source Theory

Theory that states traces of the origins of language in the types of physical features humans possess. *explains how but not why*

How language came to be

There is an unknown reason of how language came to be. We think it started about 100,000 years ago. First EVIDENCE of written language was 5,000 years ago.