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    Theories About The Origins of Language

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    The document outlines 10 theories about the origins of human language: 1) The "mama theory" proposes that language began with attaching easy syllables like "mama" to important objects. 2) The "ta-ta theory" suggests that body movements preceded language and vocal imitations of movements led to early words. 3) The "bow-wow theory" is that language originated from imitating natural sounds. 4) The "pooh-pooh theory" is that language began with instinctive emotive cries like sounds of surprise or pain. 5) The "ding-dong theory" notes a relationship between sound symbolism and meanings linked to objects. 6) The "yo-he-ho theory"

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    Theories About The Origins of Language

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    The document outlines 10 theories about the origins of human language: 1) The "mama theory" proposes that language began with attaching easy syllables like "mama" to important objects. 2) The "ta-ta theory" suggests that body movements preceded language and vocal imitations of movements led to early words. 3) The "bow-wow theory" is that language originated from imitating natural sounds. 4) The "pooh-pooh theory" is that language began with instinctive emotive cries like sounds of surprise or pain. 5) The "ding-dong theory" notes a relationship between sound symbolism and meanings linked to objects. 6) The "yo-he-ho theory"

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    Theories About the Origins of Language

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    The document outlines 10 theories about the origins of human language: 1) The "mama theory" proposes that language began with attaching easy syllables like "mama" to important objects. 2) The "ta-ta theory" suggests that body movements preceded language and vocal imitations of movements led to early words. 3) The "bow-wow theory" is that language originated from imitating natural sounds. 4) The "pooh-pooh theory" is that language began with instinctive emotive cries like sounds of surprise or pain. 5) The "ding-dong theory" notes a relationship between sound symbolism and meanings linked to objects. 6) The "yo-he-ho theory"

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    2K views2 pages

    Theories About The Origins of Language

    Uploaded by

    api-3806123
    The document outlines 10 theories about the origins of human language: 1) The "mama theory" proposes that language began with attaching easy syllables like "mama" to important objects. 2) The "ta-ta theory" suggests that body movements preceded language and vocal imitations of movements led to early words. 3) The "bow-wow theory" is that language originated from imitating natural sounds. 4) The "pooh-pooh theory" is that language began with instinctive emotive cries like sounds of surprise or pain. 5) The "ding-dong theory" notes a relationship between sound symbolism and meanings linked to objects. 6) The "yo-he-ho theory"

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    Theories about the origins of language:

    1. The mama theory. Language began with the easiest syllables


    attached to the most significant objects.

    2. The ta-ta theory. Sir Richard Paget, influenced by Darwin,


    believed that body movement preceded language. Language began
    as an unconscious vocal imitation of these movements -- like the
    way a child’s mouth will move when they use scissors, or a tongue
    sticks out when you try to play a guitar.

    3. The bow-wow theory. Language began as imitations of


    natural sounds -- moo, choo - choo, crash, clang, buzz, bang,
    meow... This is more technically referred to as echoism.

    4. The pooh-pooh theory. Language began with interjections,


    instinctive emotive cries, such as oh! for surprise and ouch! for
    pain.

    5. The ding-dong theory. Some people, including the famous


    linguist Max Muller, have pointed out that there is a rather
    mysterious correspondence between sounds and meanings. Small,
    sharp, high things tend to have words with high front vowels in
    many languages, while big, round, low things tend to have round
    back vowels! Sound symbolisms are as follows: itsy bitsy teeny
    weeny with moon.

    6. The yo-he-ho theory. Language began as rhythmic chants,


    perhaps ultimately from the grunts of heavy work (heave-ho!). The
    linguist D. S. Diamond suggests that these were perhaps calls for
    assistance or cooperation accompanied by appropriate gestures.
    This may relate yo-he-ho to the ding-dong theory, as in such words
    as cut, break, crush, strike...

    7. The sing-song theory. Danish linguist Jesperson suggested


    that language comes out of play, laughter, cooing, courtship,
    emotional mutterings and the like. He even suggests that, contrary
    to other theories, perhaps some of our first words were actually
    long and musical, rather than the short grunts many assume we
    started with.

    8. The hey you theory. A linguist by the name of Revesz


    suggested that we have always needed interpersonal contact, and
    that language began as sounds to signal both identity (here I am!)
    and belonging (I’m with you!). We may also cry out in fear, anger,
    or hurt (help me!). This is more commonly called the contact
    theory.
    9. The hocus pocus theory. Language may have some roots in a
    sort of magical or religious aspect of our ancestors' lives. Perhaps it
    began by calling out to game animals with magical sounds, which
    became their names.

    10. The eureka theory. Language was consciously invented.


    Perhaps some ancestor had the idea of assigning arbitrary sounds to
    mean certain things. Clearly, once the idea was had, it would catch
    on like wild-fire!

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    _______________

    Written by :Tariq Hayat Lashari in 2002.

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