Origin of language

1. ORIGIN OF
LANGUAGE
S Y E D A A Q S A G I L A N I
B S 1 S T E N G L I S H
E N 1 2 0 1 7 2 0 9 0

2. CONTENTS
• Origin of language
• Theories
• Importance of language

3. ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE
• Language probably
developed in East
Africa, around 100,000
years ago.

4. THEORIES
• The divine source theory
• The evolutionary theory
• The bow-wow theory
• The pooh-pooh theory
• The ding-dong theory
• The yo-he-ho theory
• The la-la theory

5. THE DIVINE SOURCE
THEORY
• A divine source that provides humans with language.
• It says that language is a gift from GOD.

6. THE EVOLUTIONARY
THEORY
• It proposes that human physiology went through a number
of changes due to the environment and language is a result
of these changes.

7. THE BOW-WOW
THEORY
• Says that nature and especially
animal sounds are the starting
point of linguistic systems.
• i.e. Broken branches
Rivers
Meow
Quack-quack etc.

8. THE POOH-POOH
THEORY
• Says that human emotional
reactions are basis for
language.
• i.e. "oh!" for surprise
"ouch!" for pain etc.

9. THE DING-DONG
THEORY
• Also called "nativistic theory".
• Assumes that human named the sounds and names after
sounds produced by objects around
i.e. "boom" for explosion
"crash" for thunder etc.

10. THE YO-HE-HO
THEORY
• Yo-he-ho theory was
proposed by Scholar
Noire in 19th century.
• Proposed that sounds
after a physical effort
is a starting point for
linguistic systems.

11. THE LA-LA THEORY
• The idea that speech
emerged from the sounds
of inspired playfulness,
love, poetic sensibility
and song.

12. IMPORTANCE OF
LANGUAGE
• To learn other languages.
• To learn about other peoples and cultures.
• To express our feelings, desires and queries to world
around us.

13. REFERENCES
• https://youtu.be/nBFjaHivmlQ
• Charles L. Barber (2007). The Story of Language
• Aitchison, J. (2000). Linguistics. Teach Yourself Books.
• https://www.trinitydc.edu/continuing-
education/2014/02/26/importance-of-language-why-learning-
a-second-language-is-important/