A new theory advances the idea that learning to make tools, flintknapping, aided early human's development of language. Teaching the processes of flintknapping requires precise communication, its advised. I put this theory forward many years ago, but is it true?
https://medium.com/the-atlantic/a-sneaky-theory-of-where-language-came-from-1352fe159e16
Hello Stanley,
there now exists considerable literature on this topic. It can be generally divided into theoretical discussions, neurophysiological studies, and behevioural studies which investigate effects of different information transmission mechanisms.
Because it would take some time to list the literature here in the comments, I suggest you take a look at the reference list of this current project for further insights: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Experimental-approach-to-the-coevolution-of-language-cognition-and-Palaeolithic-stone-tool-production
Cheers,
Petar
Languages are extinct for many reasons but are mostly extinct as they evolve into new languages and the original language becomes non-existent. One of the most important reasons for the extinction of languages is the lack of knowledge content that can be expressed by the language in keeping with the cultural needs. For example, if Arabic were not associated with the language of the Islamic religion, we would find new languages derived from the mother tongue.In general, linguistic development is accompanied by extinction of the original language.
Certainly an interesting, but also very complex question and thesis. Languages can become extinct, little used or only spoken by a few, because the population is dying out / emigrating as a wide spread language community, or because it is replaced by another language that one is forced to speak. This is the case when for centuries the language of political leaders has dominated or the culture of a larger language community is spreading worldwide. Or even after the first encounter with cultures. Japan had developed in isolation over several centuries, in the encounter with the Portuguese in 17th entury and in the 19th century with the Americans, there were completely new experiences to make here, because many used techniques, like door and hinge (the Japanese house knows only sliding doors) or a button were something new. The Japanese language has taken in an enormous amount of words from Europe, also from the individual sciences at the end of the 19th century. However, the structure of the language has not changed.
Worldwide, in several waves in the 20th century, English, which was already widespread due to England's position as a world power, has become a world language - with the exception of South America, where Christian Mission and colonisation left their linguistic presence of Spanish and Portogese language immediately after its conquest in the 16th and 17th centuries.
On the European continent from the 17th century onwards, French as the language of the educated was of particular importance due to the dominance of the French court. Old Greek was rediscovered by the humanists of the late 15th and 16th centuries (in Germany the "Abitur" graduation of the traditional grammar school was always associated with a demanding examination in Greek in the 19th century), in early German and European Romantic age Sanskrit (also Arabic languages) was also paid new attention by linguists and cultural researchers. But not as a popular speech, but as the language of scholars to know ancient cultures of India.
New fundamental inventions are all the more likely to change and enrich language when they require new action. In Germany, the terms "download" or "upload" have become common verbs. The means of communication of the today IT society such as smart phones, computer networks, automatic translation machines are intended for mass operation, easy to use and therefore relatively poor in action.
The interesting question is whether the evolution of language can also cause a revolution in language structures. But this question may clarify further discussion.
Hello Stanley,
there now exists considerable literature on this topic. It can be generally divided into theoretical discussions, neurophysiological studies, and behevioural studies which investigate effects of different information transmission mechanisms.
Because it would take some time to list the literature here in the comments, I suggest you take a look at the reference list of this current project for further insights: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Experimental-approach-to-the-coevolution-of-language-cognition-and-Palaeolithic-stone-tool-production
Cheers,
Petar
Petar, I've put another one on since whereby tools have been discovered predating homins, although this may not involve teacher/student relationships
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Psychology
- Mental Processes
- Learning