A Study Of English Language & Phonetics_20240929_165232_0000.pdf

The origin of language

1. GOVERNMENT ARTS
COLLEGE,VALLABHIPUR
A Study Of English Language &
Phonetics
By-Vegad Maulika

2. The language has developed through the use of a lot of
symbols and pictorials; one should always remember that
language is primarily spoken in nature. Whatever we
have as proof is in the form of various kinds of readings.
Today it would have been quite impossible for us to
know about language of the people spoken during that
time, if writing and printing would not have been there.
Introduction

3. The principal method of human communication,
consisting of words used in a structured and
conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing,
or gesture
A study of the way children learn language.
A system of communication used by a particular
country or community.
➤The book was translated into twenty-five
languages.
Language

4. ➤ Word origin is very important. Knowing the etymology of a word provides
enhanced perspective about its most effective use.
You understand its original meaning and how it may have transformed over
time, how people have used it past and present.
➤ Actually no one exactly knows when or how human beings came up with
spoken language.
➤ One hypothesis is that language began between 100,000 or 50,000 years
ago with the advent of modern man i.e. Homo Habilis and Homo Sapiens.
Origin of language

5. Many theories have presented over the years. That are
following.
Bow-wow theory
Pooh-pooh theory
Ding-dong theory
Yo-he-ho theor
Ta-ta theory
Sing-song
Mama theory
The eureka! theory
Hey you! theory
Hocus pocus theory
Theories

6. Max Muller, a philologist and linguist, published a list of these theories in the mid-19th
century: Bow-wow.
Ding-Dong. Pooh-pooh.
Bow-wow theory is also known as the natural sound source theory.
The bow-wow theory is largely discredited as an account of the origin of language.
Though some contemporary theories suggest that general imitative abilities may have played
an
important role in the evolution of language.
Bow-wow theory postulates that the origin of language arose through "onomatopoeia.".
In simple words, is the imitation of sounds in nature (Moran and Gode 1986).
Specifically, the sounds from animals were the most imitated from the environment.
The bow- wow theory

7. The ding -dong theory
A theory that language originated out of a natural correspondence between
objects of sense perception and the vocal noises which were part of early
humans' reaction to them-compare bowwow theory, pooh- pooh theory.
➤DING-DONG: The "ding-dong" hypothesis bases the origins of language on
onomatopoeia.
➤ This idea states that language began when humans started naming objects
after a relevant sound that was already involved in their everyday life.
➤ Examples include words such as "boom," "crash," and "oink".

8. A pooh-pooh (also styled as poo-poo) is a fallacy in informal logic
that consists of dismissing an argument as being unworthy of
serious consideration.
➤Pooh means that Pull Out of Hole.
➤ Scholars generally characterize the fallacy as a rhetorical device
in which the speaker ridicules an argument without responding to
the substance of the argument.
➤ Pooh-pooh theory A speculative theory that human language
originated from emotional exclamations of pain, pleasure, surprise,
etc.
The pooh- Pooh theory

9. ➤ Condillac as one of the earlier scholars to put forth a gestural
theory of language.
➤ The Gestural Theory states that human language was developed
from gestures that were a primitive form of communication.
➤ As opposed to the vocal signals that might have been adopted by
non- human primates.
According to the gestural theory of language evolution, our
ancestors were able to communicate intentionally through gestures
but could not control their vocalizations.
THE GESTURES THEORY

10. ➤ Two types of evidence support this theory.
➤ Gestural language and vocal language depend on similar neural systems.
➤ Examples of communicative gestures are waving, saluting, handshakes, pointing, or a thumbs
up.
➤ There are voluntary and involuntary gestures.
➤ Waving to a friend would be an intentional method of saying hello.
➤ While throwing one's arms up in exasperation may be an involuntary reaction to feelings of
frustration or anger.
In 1992 McNeill proposes a general classification of four types of hand gestures: beat, deictic,
iconic and metaphoric.

11. Yo-he-ho theory a speculative theory that human language
emerged from instinctive noises made by humans during
physical exertion, and especially while involved in collective
rhythmic labour.
➤ "Work Song" The Yo-He-Ho Theory proposes that language
and speech started with grunts and groans as well as chants,
and rhythmic sounds.
That the earliest peoples use to coordinate their movements as
they work together to accomplish a formidable task.
➤ If you've ever lifted anything heavy, you might have let out
a groan or other kind of sound. This theory claims language
came from the sounds we made while doing hard work.
The yo- he-ho theory

12. Conclusion
➤ All the presented theories do not
precisely demonstrate what is the origin
of language but it is clear that in the
past people were only able to do some
gestures and only produce few sounds.

13. Reference
https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/transforming-the-world-engineering-humanity-a-
soft-science-view-of-hard-science/
https://www.facebook.com/p/USEK-Department-of-Languages-Literatures-
100063722750887/?locale=eo_EO
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/governance/protecting-endangered-languages-fe
right-but-does-it-really-help-people--91341
https://obo.genaud.net/backmatter/gallery/muller.htm
https://www.shortkidstories.com/story/ding-dong-bell/
https://pin.it/1K6OHRMh8
https://stock.adobe.com/in/images/hands-demonstrating-japanese-sign-language-
fingerspelling-full-alphabet-with-text/542425448
https://kw6825y.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/summarys-five-books-and-project/

14. THANK YOU
SO MUCH!!