As we have discussed in various blog posts, all living things communicate in one way or another, and many animals use forms of communication that are relatively sophisticated, sometimes even among members of different species.
But only human beings have language. And while language is at the heart of everything we do as a species, there are still lots of big questions about how it evolved, and why. The one thing we do know is that language started long before anyone recorded it.
Some biological factors appear to be essential to the development of spoken language. The brain needs to have a certain capacity for abstract thought, which depends partly on its size. So, it’s reasonable to infer from the skull size of fossil remains that language may have been possible in hominids of a certain brain size. The position of the larynx also provides some clues because the larynx is essential to utter specific sounds (as opposed to, for instance, more generic growling or barking).
Language also relies on grammar, which is a general set of rules that everyone within the language group must use to understand one another. Some linguistic researchers believe that the capacity for language, and therefore grammar, is innate; that babies are born with this ability already programmed into their brains.
One thing, however, is certain: language is a defining feature of our species. It makes us who we are and has given us the gift of communication that is far more complex, and much richer, than that of even our closest relatives.
Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/unknown-person-writing-on-chalkboard-jBSTNenQxok
