Uhmm anthropology. Uhmm How the heck did we make up languages?

Question

How the heck did we make up our own languages back Thousands of years ago.

How did we make up: a mountain is called a mountain? We just looked at this massive thing and were like *grunt* *grunt* and then we get the name Mountain for that massive thing?

So yeah we make up this language(any language not just english.) and we add more and more to it. How do you teach it? The person next to you. You're trying to teach is thinking in his mind like what is this guy trying to do ? how the...what the...huh...? Hmmm i know they used their previous method of speaking/communication with their peers to teach...Oh well anyway, Wait uhmm, man my mind is all over the place right now...ANYONE know a Huge topic to write about, where i can take a stand on and just rant on about it? Such as, homosexuality, war in Iraq, and the media. and all that good stuff?

Answer 1

Language is extremely interesting to ponder and think about

People went for a very long time just using facial gestures and gestures in general before words. Then once people starting speaking then nouns would come first (names for things).  Animals were called by their sounds such as the cat was called a mau (meow) by the ancient Egyptians.  Verbs are a little more abstract and would come later. Once the written word came along then the words of the ones writing became dominate.  Look at the word mountain you used.  Notice that the "m" could be 2 hills with a valley in between.  The word valley the "v" is the shape of a valley between 2 hills.

The "v" in vase is a vase. The word go has an "o" which is a wheel, roll, tow.  Did you notice in your question that both the word mountain and massive both start with an "m". Mega, mighty, monumental. Anyway, An "e" half circle so when you go, you go one way or leave. A "v" is a container. An "o" means movement. A "L" is like a wall.  So, evolve is leaving at the beginning and end, it contains and has a wall/movement in the middle. To evolve one must enter, be contained move thru a wall and exit different at the end.

Answer 2

We're genetically wired to be able to parse language (i.e. syntax).

The ability to pick up languages is not a cultural invention, though whatever language you pick up is a cultural invention.

The idea is if you place a bunch of babies together with no adult contact, they will eventually create a language among themselves.

It's something we evolved probably due to socially driven evolution.

Answer 3

There is no satisfactory secular explanation of the origin of languages.

But there explanation can be found in Genesis, and the account for the tower of Babel. God had told Noah's descendants to populate the whole earth. They disobeyed so God confused the languages thereby forcing dispersion and creating the nations with their langages.

Since then languages have obviously 'evolved' somewhat, but if anything languages are becoming fewer and simpler - devolving!

Good article here

http://www.creationontheweb.com/images/p...

Answer 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a39fS-82...

at the 3 minute mark you may find your answer.

Answer 5

ask a philosist about language. Sanskrit etc... we as humans are social and want to communicate.  a huge current event topic. Rev. Wright's speech.

Answer 6

I'm currently reading Dr. Guy Deutscher's "The Unfolding of Languages".  

I think the topic is far too complex to answer on yahoo!answers but to get an idea, if you're really interested in current opinion consider finding this book.  It's a little dense at first, but very interesting.

http://www.unfoldingoflanguage.com/

For more information search Google Scholar for "Evolution of language" & you'll find links to journal articles correlating things like group/neocortex size to language.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&...