1 Origins of Language Flashcards
What is the primary function of language?
A means of communicating thoughts.
What does the theory of evolution state about species?
All species of life have descended over time from common ancestors.
What is the result of natural selection according to evolution?
Survival of life is tested by survival of the fittest.
Who was Charles Robert Darwin?
An English naturalist and geologist (1809–1882).
What is the divine source theory of language origin?
God created Adam and whatever Adam called every living creature was its name.
What happens to children with no exposure to human speech?
They simply grow up with no language.
Fill in the blank: NO EXPOSURE = NO SPEECH = _______.
NO LANGUAGE.
Who was Psammetichus?
An Egyptian Pharaoh who reigned from 664–610 BCE.
What did Herodotus report about Psamtik’s experiment?
He isolated two newborn babies for two years with only goats and a mute shepherd.
What was the first word spoken by the isolated babies in Psamtik’s experiment?
Bekos, meaning bread.
What is the significance of the word ‘bekos’?
It is a Phrygian word, from an older language spoken in part of modern Turkey.
What experiment did King James IV of Scotland conduct?
He isolated children who spoke Hebrew.
What did King James IV believe about Hebrew?
He believed it was the language of the ‘Garden of Eden’.
Fact: What is true about children living in isolation with no human speech?
They tend not to speak a language.
What is the Tower of Babel story about?
It describes a time when there was one language, and then people began to speak different languages.
What is the natural sound source theory?
First words were imitations of natural sounds.
Define onomatopoeic words.
Words that echo natural sounds, e.g., CUCKOO, SPLASH, BANG.
What does the ‘Bow-Wow Theory’ suggest?
Original sounds of language came from imitations of natural sounds.
What does the ‘Heave-yo-ho Theory’ imply?
Original sounds of language came from cries of emotion.
