The tongue is the second organ that starts to appear in the fetus after the heart, and is, above most else, a tool for the process of language processing. However, that language’s origin and development have been debated by various scientists for centuries.
From what we can tell, language arose some 100,000 years ago, but there’s not a precise date certifying its origin. There have been various theories and stances on its creation, some more controversial than others, but they all have in common a lack of evidence that would help to verify them.
According to the opinion of one of the most influential scientists in the field of linguistics, Noam Chomsky, it seems that the human language came out of nowhere and is now completely different from any other animal communication system known from the beginning of time. Still, in 1871 Charles Darwin wrote inThe Descent of Man: “The sounds uttered by birds offer in several aspects the nearest analogy to language, for all the members of the same species utter the same instinctive cries expressive of their emotions; and all kinds that have the power of singing exert this power instinctively.”
Now a new study led by Professor Shigeru Miyagawa argues that human language is a graft between two communication systems found in the animal kingdom. He argues human language combines an “expressive” language system, as we see in birdsongs, with a “lexical” system, like when chimpanzees emit sounds such as alarm calls, which can be specific to different types of threats and have different meanings.
Shigeru Miyagawa proposes a new hypothesis about the emergence of human language, which is called “The Integration Hypothesis of Human Language”; the explanation lies in the fusion of these two systems within an undefined timeframe, but that this fusion happened quickly and successfully. To be clear, many scientists believe that human language was obtained through the “proto-language” which is a rudimentary kind of primitive communication with a gradual development of words and syntax. But Miyagawa is not in favor of this theory. According to him, current syntax has characteristics which show that they must be descended from an older, syntax-laden system, rather than from a simple and primal expression systems.
The Integration Hypothesis seeks to answer many questions, including: How did this merger of sounds and meanings happen? Animals, as we know, have finite options when it comes to expression. However, as human beings we have infinite possibilities of words and expressions that may have different meanings depending on their context.
Needless to say, the Integration Hypothesis is somewhat controversial, especially regarding the link-up between human beings and birds. We can say that our language is independent on the evolutionary tree, however it’s most obvious tie is the ability to learn sounds from others.
Specifically, Miyagawa and his team considered some of the seemingly infinite qualities of modern human language, and analyzed them to show the finite qualities of speech forms in other animals. This leads to the idea that human communication is more similar to other animal’s forms than what was previously believed.
Learn more about this fascinating theory with Shigeru Miyagawa and us here at EdCase in the Origins of Human Language course series, starting on June 15th.
Click here to enroll now: https://www.edcast.org/learn/origins-of-human-language-birds-monkeys-and-humans-spring2015
Laura Marenco Galvis
Chief Blogger & Social Media Specialist
EdCast Knowledge Network 