A BRIEF IDEA ON ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE DEBANJAN BISWAS B.ED FIRST YEAR (ROLL-10)

GENERAL DEFINATION OF LANGUAGE Language is a human system of communication that uses arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, and/or written symbols. (The study of language is called linguistics) A language is a symbol system based on pure and arbitrary conventions, infinitely extendable and modifiable according to the changing needs and conditions of the speakers.

THERE ARE SIX VERY POPULAR THEORIES ABOUT HOW THE LANGUAGE ORIGINATED ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE THERE ARE SIX VERY POPULAR THEORIES ABOUT HOW THE LANGUAGE ORIGINATED The bow-wow theory (The idea that speech arose from people imitating the sounds that things make: Bow-wow, moo, baa, etc.) The pooh-pooh theory (The idea that speech comes from the automatic vocal responses to pain, fear, surprise, or other emotions: a laugh) The ding-dong theory (The idea that speech reflects some mystical resonance or harmony connected with things in the world)

4. The yo-he-ho theory (The idea that speech started with the rhythmic chants and grunts people used to coordinate their physical actions when they worked together) 5. The ta-ta theory/sing-song theory (The idea that speech came from the use of tongue and mouth gestures to mimic manual gestures. For example, saying ta-ta) 6. The la-la theory (The idea that speech emerged from the sounds of inspired playfulness, love, poetic sensibility, and song)

FACTS There are about 5000 languages spoken in the world today (a third of them in Africa), but scholars group them together into relatively few families - probably less than twenty. Languages are linked to each other by shared words or sounds or grammatical constructions. The theory is that the members of each linguistic group have descended from one language, a common ancestor . (e.g. Hindi, Bengali, English originated from the ancestor language Indo-European)

LINGUISTIC EVOLUTION The ongoing struggle between languages is a process very similar to evolution. A word, like a gene, will travel and prevail according to its usefulness. A word's fitness to survive may derive from being attached to a desirable new invention or substance, or simply from being an amusing or useful concept. e.g. 'Aspirin', coined in 1899 by its German inventor from the opening letters of Acetylirte Spirsäure (acetylated spiraeic acid), immediately became an international word. In a less serious context 'snob', first given its present meaning in English in the mid-19th century, is now naturalized in a great many languages.

NEW LANGUIAGE FROM OLD Old English or Anglo-Saxon  is the earliest historical form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. Already there are many varieties of English in use, like the European English, American English, Australian English , Indian sub continental English etc. All of which has evolved and has gained their own rich characters. Like the pronunciation of a simple word varies a lot. Not only that the spelling of the same word varies… e.g. colour ( British English) color (American English )

CONCLUSION Languages are made of arbitrary conventions and signs. There are many theories of origin of language but cannot be shortlisted to a single one. , (where some part of all the theories are true, but not a single theory can explain the origin completely) Language is free of orthodox rules and conventions and is always evolving with place and time. Evolution of language depends on it’s usefulness. If the word is useful we use it every now and then, but if it is not useful or catchy it renders itself obsolete.

REFERRENCE http://mentalfloss.com/article/48631/6-early-theories-about- origin-language http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?histor yid=ab13 THANK YOU