Topic 3: The Origin and Nature of Language

Learning Objectives

At the end of this topic, each student should be able to:

1. Give opinions and examples on the theories of language origin;
2. Present a synopsis of relevant research about the origin of language and
explain how such data agree or disagree with the theories of language origin
presented in this module;
3. Create new words to show his/her knowledge on the nature of language; and
4. Explain how the characteristics of language distinguish human beings from
animals.

Presentation

A. The Origin of Language

"For all its power to wound and seduce, speech is our most
ephemeral creation; it is little more than air. It exits the body as a series
of puffs and dissipates quickly into the atmosphere. ... there are no verbs
preserved in amber, no ossified nouns, and no pre-historical shrieks
forever spread-eagled in the lava that took them by surprise."
Christine Kenneally, “The First Word”

The statement of Kenneally as quoted above presents us the mystery on the origin of language.
You might be wondering how the human species started to develop its own language system.
This leads us to some basic questions such as the following:
 What was the first language used by human beings?
 Where and when did it originate
 How did humans come to associate fixed sounds to specific objects and ideas?
The lack of such evidence has stirred many speculations about the origins of language. What is
important to note is the fact that language is the work of humans and it is distinct from the
immutable cries and songs of the other living creatures. For so long a time, many theories have
emerged trying to answer the aforementioned questions. Before we delve deeper into this area of
study, we must first have a glance at the four of the oldest common theories of language origin.
Max Muller calls them the Bow Wow Theory, the Pooh Pooh Theory, the Ding Dong Theory,
and the Yo-he-ho Theory.
1. Bow-wow Theory
 The Bow Wow theory claims that things were named after the sounds they produce, thus
it is also known as Onomatopoeic theory. For example, the ‘hiss’ of a snake and the
‘buzz’ of a bee were called as such because that is what the people heard from these
creatures before. However, the problem with this theory is that it also encompasses a
small portion of the vocabulary of a language, aside from the fact that not everything or
idea has a sound.
Can you think of other evidences that might support the Bow Wow theory? Write them
down in the thinking bubbles!

2. The Pooh Pooh Theory

This theory takes its stand on the psychological fact that different perceptions
excite different feelings and emotions in the human being, and there is an appropriate
sound to express human feeling. In other words, this theory claims that the speech sounds
came from the automatic vocal response to various human feelings like pain, sadness,
anger, etc. For example, when a person accidentally touches a very hot surface, his or her
automatic vocal response would be to shout “Ouch!” if he speaks English, “Aray!” or
“Ananoy” in Ibanag. Because of this, the Pooh Pooh theory is also considered
interjectional in nature. Such sounds as “wa wa wa” or “ha ha ha,” commonly used to
denoted crying or pain and happiness or laughter, respectively, would then develop into a
more unique and case-specific series of sounds in association with other emotions and
interactions (Vadja).
What do you think is the limitation of the Pooh Pooh Theory?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

3. The Ding Dong Theory

The Ding Dong theory points out that there is a mystical power that causes the
mysterious correspondence between sounds and meanings. According to this theory,
speech reflects some mystical resonance or harmony connected with things in the world.
It hypothesized that the primitives have invented some words which sounds correspond
exactly to their meanings, like “boom” (thunder), crash, thump, etc. This theory is also
known as pathogenic theory of language.

Say the word “tiny”. Observe how you produce such sound. Now, say the
word, “large”. Is there any connection between the sound and the meaning of
these words? How does the Ding Dong theory apply to this example?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
 4. The Yo-he-ho Theory
Have you ever observed a group of individuals working together to perform a heavy task,
like carrying a nipa hut in a bayanihan? Did you hear them counting or uttering loud
sounds in unison as they start lifting the house? If yes, then you already have an idea of
how Yo-he-ho theory emerged.
According to this language invention hypothesis, laborers during the primitive times have
this habit of shouting “yo-he-ho” when starting a heavy work in order to lighten he
fatigue accompanying a bodily labor, and this has been cited to explain the first syllables
in a language. Expression such as “heave-ho!” accompanied with grunts and appropriate
actions may have been used by the primitive people in order to ask for assistance or a call
for cooperation.

The Yo-he-ho theory may be related to the Ding Dong theory in some ways.
What English words could have been products of these two theories?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Those theories of language origin show that no single theory could explain the origin of a
language. This is mainly because the diversity of language structure points out to
different beginnings. Many scholar, linguists and researchers are trying to provide
answers to the questions raised about the origin of language. Some of these areas of study
include cognitive, physical, and social factors. The available evidence regarding the
origins of language is quite inconclusive despite the fact that language is perhaps one of
the most important cultural phenomena the world has ever seen.

B. The Nature of Language

In order to understand our humanity, it is a must that we understand the nature of the
language which primarily makes us humans. Whatever we do in our lives, we use language.
Hence, with the its infinite usage in our everyday activities, we might have already observed
some characteristics that lead us to understanding the nature of language.
No matter how diverse these languages are, they can be commonly described using
the five important characteristics of language.
1. Language is ARBITRARY
“Arbitrary” means random, by chance, unmotivated, without purpose. There is no
specific reason on why a word is assigned to name a certain concrete object or abstract
idea. We can not explain why the strong affection for another arising out of kinship or
personal ties is called “love” in English, “pagmamahal” in Tagalog or “ayat” in Iloko.
Seemingly, people called it as such following no law or any natural connection at all,
hence making the sign arbitrary.
2. Language is SOCIAL
The members of a society communicate with each other using a language. They create
the language, they own the language. People sharing the same language tend to
understand one another because of their collective knowledge in terms of the vocabulary,
grammar and usage of such language. Language
is an important tool to build and develop a
certain community. When no more people use a
certain language, that language dies. SOME FACTS ABOUT
LANGUAGE
3. Language is SYMBOLIC
Sound symbols found in the phonetic alphabet
and the graphological symbols such as the 1. Wherever humans exist, language
letters in the Roman alphabet comprise a exists.
language. These are not simply signs, but these 2. There are no “primitive” languages
– all languages are equally complex
are symbols that have meanings and can lead to and equally capable of expressing
an intelligible use of the language when any idea in the universe. The
accurately and systematically combined and vocabulary of any language can be
expanded to include new words for
interpreted. A language cannot operate without new concepts.
this symbols, hence it is considered symbolic 3. All languages change through time.
4. All human languages utilize a finite
4. Language is SYSTEMATIC set of discrete sounds (or gestures)
that are combined to form
Any language is bound by its systems of sound meaningful elements of words,
production (phonetics & phonology) grammar which themselves form an infinite
set of possible sentences.
and usage (syntax & semantics) and even in 5. Every language has a way of
mechanics (graphology). The system inherent referring to past time, negating,
of each language distinguishes from the systems forming questions, issuing
commands, and so on.
of other languages. For example , in English we 6. Similar grammatical categories (for
say, “She needs your help.” In the preceding example noun and verb) are found in
example, the subject “I” begins the sentence. all languages.
7. Speakers of all languages are
However, expressing the same idea in Tagalog capable of producing and
takes another system of the Filipino language comprehending an infinite set of
whereby the subject does not normally begin the sentences. Syntactic universals
reveal that every language has a way
sentence. So, in Tagalog we say “Kailangan of forming sentences such as:
niya ang iyong tulong.” If one applies the Linguistics is an interesting subject.
system of English language when speaking in I know that linguistics is an
interesting subject.
Tagalog, he/she will be jeopardizing the Filipino You know that I know that
language. Just imagine the sentence being said, linguistics is an interesting subject.
“Niya kailangan iyong tulong.” Remember, all Cecilia knows that you know that I
know that linguistics is an
languages have their own systems of interesting subject.
arrangement. Is it a fact that Cecilia knows that
you know that I know that
5. Language is VOCAL linguistics is an interesting subject?
8. Any normal child, born anywhere in
A language is always based on speech sounds. It the world, of any racial,
is primarily vocal simply because in the history
of language, the ancient people have developed
 a system of sounds produced by the physiological articulatory facilities of a human being.
Writing came later as interpretation of the speech sounds of a language. Hence, one must
take note that the graphological symbols which we use in writing are based on the vocal
sounds that comprise a certain language. Just come to think of it, while you are silently
reading this lesson, your mind keeps reading it aloud for you. This simply shows that
even if words are not spoken aloud, the sound system of the language is still at work
because language is vocal.
5. Language is NON-INSTINCTIVE and CONVENTIONAL
Language is acquired by human beings through his or her innate ability to learn a
language. No one is born with a language in his or her tongue. As a child grows, he/she
learns a mother tongue based on what he/she hears from the people around him/her.
Language is conventional in the sense that it is a result of evolution and convention.
Every generation transmits this convention to the next until it develops. Through this, a
language is compared to an organism. It lives, it grows and expands, and it also dies. A
language dies when people stop using it, or when a generation fails to transmit the
conventions of such language to the younger generation causing it to become endangered
if not extinct.
6. Language is DYNAMIC
Productivity and creativity is possible in any language because the structural elements
can be combined in order to create new utterances that can be both understood by the
users without difficulty. Hence, language can keep on changing. It is dynamic. Consider
the millennial slangs or social media terminologies that people have created specifically
for social media communication exchanges. The word “shook” for example is,
technically, the past tense of shake, but if you were to post in Facebook how surprised
you are of something you would probably say that you are “shooketh which means that
you were astonished. This only shows that people have infinite ways of maximizing the
productivity and creativity of a language.