Lecture V.
15.11.2012
The origins of language:
THE DIVINE SOURCE:
a gift which God gave to mankind
Pharoah Psammetichus → placed to babies in mountains with somebody who looked after them, but did not talk to them → their first word was “bekos”- bread (Phrygian)→ the word “bekos” was an imitation of the sound that sheeps used
Fredrick II Hohenstaufen → placed two babies in a remote place without anybody who could look after them → children were found dead
James IV of Scotland → placed two babies in a remote place → when children were found they spoke very good Hebrew
monogenetic → has only one source
WEAK POINTS:
no scientific evidence
if God had given language to people, children who weren't exposed to any language should speak the one which God gave people → but they speak any language
THE NATURAL SOURCE:
language comes from sounds, which are found in nature
the “bow- wow” theory → objects are named on the bases of the sound they produce → “bow- wow” = dog
“cries of nature” (Jean- Jacques Russeau) → language developed from emotional expressions of pain, fear, surprise, pleasure, anger, etc.
The “ye- he- ho” theory (Otto Jespersen)→ language rose out of the rhythmical grounds of men and women working together
WEAK POINTS:
we can only name things that produce sound
no scientific base
THE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY:
is based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution
brain developed, then mind developed, and then vocal apparatus developed
the need of speak developed
WEAK POINTS:
no answer from the question : “where the language comes from?”
there are gaps in the evolution
the theory is incomplete
THE GENETIC ORIGIN:
the innateness hypothesis → we are born with a certain language gene, and thanks to it we can produce and understand language
WEAK POINT:
the gene has never been found
WE CANNOT ANSWER THE QUESTION : “WHERE THE LANGUAGE COMES FROM”, BECAUSE THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO PROVE IT