The origins of language:

An investigation of
various theories
Michelle French
What made us, humans, the highest form of
beings on this earth is that we don’t bark; we
speak and we have an alphabet.
I think language is confusing once you’ve start learning
more than 2. Words gets interchanged and you wouldn’t
even notice it until someone asks you what you’re talking
about.
Without language, we will not be able to live properly
due to its importance. Such an idea leaves me
speechless.
The origins of language: An investigation of various theories

One of the greatest mysteries of human existence is language.

• Some evolutionists say language developed out of the vocal sounds
or gestures of primates;
• others think man invented it because of his intelligence or his ability
to imitate;
• and a few think communication was somehow ‘discovered’ as man
evolved.

Theory of evolution does not have any reasonable explanation for the
origin of human language.
The origins of language: An investigation of various theories

• D. Premack, author of many books on evolution and language origin,

says, ‘Human language is an embarrassment for the evolution theory.
Why???
• The theory of evolution fails to give a satisfactory explanation for the
complexity and diversity of spoken human language.

• Humans discovered, received, or invented language. All agree that

language is the main
Language is what sets us apart from any other animal.
The origins of language: An investigation of various theories

• Language is universal among humans.

Question: Why does only man have the ability to communicate

through language?
The origins of language: An investigation of various theories

Barriers to developing language

Fixity of reference - refers to the fact that animal communications are
connected with one meaning and cannot be
applied to another meaning.

In animals, communication For humans to begin to communicate by

is limited to emotions. language, syntax had to be developed.
Syntax is the ability to put words together in
order to communicate meaning. (Word order,
suffixes, metalanguages)
The origins of language: An investigation of various theories

Barriers to developing language

• How languages have changed since man has been able to observe
them.
However, this is the opposite of
Languages become simpler biological evolution, in which things
over time by use—they never supposedly become more complex
become more complex. over time.

Many theories have been presented about how these barriers were overcome to
develop language, and many of these ideas are quite far-fetched and different from
each other.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• proposed that man’s first motive for speaking was his passions, so
poetry was the first thing to be spoken.

• most people disagree with Rousseau, and have come up with a

plethora of theories on how language came to be.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Theory of Evolution
Human language either evolved from the sounds of animals or it
evolved first as sign language, then gradually sounds were added and it
eventually became vocal communication.

Man’s intelligence or his ability to imitate enabled him to invent it.

language ‘magically’emerged in humans, or as man evolved he

somehow discovered the ability to communicate, which was already in
his head.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Theory of Evolution

Proponents of different theories on language origin all disagree about

when communication with words began, and, because it is impossible
to determine or reconstruct any of the first languages, exactly how
language came to be is all guesswork, if the theory of evolution is true.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Animal Sound Theory

 language evolved from the sounds and noises made by animals.

 As humans developed and became smarter, they supposedly
created more sounds that eventually became words with meaning.
 Somehow, syntax was developed and gradually the sounds became
language.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Animal Sound Theory

 animal sounds are non-linguistic and are not used to communicate

an idea or concept;
 they convey emotions, just as crying, laughing, screaming and other
sounds do in humans.

Vocal sounds linked to emotion are quite different than those that
are meant to convey ideas.
Because of this, it is highly unlikely that human language evolved
from the sounds of animals.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Human Intelligence Theory

• Many have suggested that human intellect enabled man

to somehow create language.

• As man evolved, they say, he grew more and more intelligent and
that gave him the ability to communicate.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Human Intelligence Theory

‘We must ask why all life forms on earth had to wait millions of years
for Homo to do it [develop language]. Was it because a certain level of
intelligence had to be developed first? But how could that be, when
intelligence seems so dependent on language? Language could hardly
be a precondition for language. (Dwight Bolinger)’
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Human Intelligence Theory

Intelligence cannot be measured without language; so to say man

developed language because of his intelligence is an untestable
presumption.

Furthermore, there is no proof that language requires intelligence.

So it must be concluded that it was not man’s superior intelligence that

made him capable of communicating through language.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
The Meme Theory

 humans were able to create language because they have the ability
to imitate.

 This is what enabled him to develop language.

 The basis of this theory is that man is allegedly the only animal who
can really imitate, or ‘meme’.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
The Emergent Phenomenon Theory

• language came as an emergent phenomenon— suddenly appearing

in humans.
• It is believed that language was already in man’s head, and as he
evolved he discovered it and began to use and develop words or
signs to convey ideas and information.

According to this theory, language and communication existed before

man discovered it, which means it happened just by chance and was
not designed to be systematic.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
The Emergent Phenomenon Theory

• However, language is very systematic and logical—far too

organized to have happened by chance.

• Language is one of the main attributes that separate humans from

other animals, but why have no other animals discovered it?

Human language, is something as complex as language could not have

somehow emerged without a creator.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
The Sign Language Theory

• As man was evolving, signs developed as people found they could

receive some benefit from using them.
• When signs began to be made for conveying meaning to someone
else, and not to accomplish an action, they became true
communication, and not ‘accidental’communication.

A huge problem with this theory is how sounds were

added to those signs.
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
The Sign Language Theory

• when one thinks of the myriad words and concepts that are inherent to
humans, which would be impossible to invent and communicate by signs,
such as time, love, hate, greed, happiness, religion, purpose, beauty, matter,
fun, education, and countless others, this theory—or any evolution
theory—seems quite unworkable.

SYNTAX
It seems reasonable to think that signs and words could have developed for
simple actions and objects, but how did man invent metalanguage?
 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Creation Theory

Language was created and given to man by an all-powerful, all-knowing

God removes all the barriers that would prevent language from
existing.

Language is one aspect of God that was imparted to humans.

 The origins of language: An investigation of various theories
Conclusion

Evolutionists have presented so many theories of how

human language developed, but not one of them is a satisfactory
explanation for its incredible diversity and complexity.