Theories
A greater entity provided humans with language.
The Divine Source
What's the name of the organ called "voice box"?
Larynx
When did written language develop?
About 5,000 years ago.
What's the basic idea behind the "bow-wow" theory of language origin?
Primitive words could have been imitations of the natural sounds that early humans heard around them and all modern languages have words that are onomatopoeic in some way (like “bow-wow”).
Early humans tried to imitate the sounds and then used them to refer to those objects even when they weren’t present.
The Bow-Wow Theory
What's the real name of the "resonator"?
Pharynx
When can we say the human auditory system has begun working?
At about two months before birth (or seven months in the womb).
What is the difference between the position of the larynx in humans and other primates?
It is much lower in the throat in humans
Speech developed from the instinctive sounds people make in emotional circumstances.
The Pooh-Pooh Theory
In short, it means that the brain has specialized functions in each of the two hemispheres.
What did Darwin think early human communication was first based on?
Musical notes and rhythm.
Why are interjections such as Ooh! or Yuck! considered to be unlikely sources of human speech sounds?
Interjections contain sounds that are not otherwise used in ordinary speech production. They are usually produced with sudden intakes of breath, which is the opposite of ordinary talk, produced on the exhaled breath.
Musical ability developed before the ability to create words.
The Musical Source
What's the name of the "language gene"?
FOXP2
What two things did early humans need to take control of in order to produce intonation?
Control of the vibration of the vocal folds and control of respiratory (breathing) patterns.
Why is it difficult to agree with Psammetichus that Phrygian must have been the original human language?
First, his conclusion was based on very little evidence. Second, it seems more reasonable to assume that the children in his study were producing a goat-like sound from their immediate environment.
The sounds needed to coordinate a physical activity involving several people.
The Social Interaction Source
Describe the major physical changes that have facilitated speech production.
Teeth are much smaller, lips have much more intricate muscle interlacing. The human mouth is relatively small compared to other primates, and the tongue can be easily shaped thanks to its muscular form.
What percentage of human breathing while speaking normally consists of in-breaths?
About 10%
Where is the pharynx and how did it become an essential part of human sound production?
The pharynx is above the larynx. When the larynx moved lower, the pharynx became longer and acted as a resonator, resulting in increased range and clarity of sounds produced via the larynx.