History of Language
Tiechao Yin
School of Western Studies
Heilongjiang University
Language
Definition of humanlanguage
---- A system of vocal symbols
used human communication
Design features
Bee
dance
Courting of
spider
Chimpanzee
calling
Human
language
duality ±? － － ＋
productivity ＋ － － ＋
arbitrariness Rare ＋ －? ＋
interchangeability ＋ － ＋ ＋
cultural transmission － － －? ＋
Displacement － － －? ＋
specialty,＋ ＋ ＋ ＋
Origin of Mankind
Darwin’s origin of species ----An evolution
theory
Single cell animal →
multi-cell animal →
reptile →
primates →
homo species →
human
Physical Anthropology
? structure difference between human and
apes
? Humankind (live in every corner of
the world) = Hominidae (人科）
? Apes (live only in tropical forests
or jungles)
? = Pongidae（大猿科）
? = Hominoidea（人猿超科）
Evolution of mankind
Bony Structure Between Ape and
Man
Skull Difference
Brain Size and Volume
Hands and Brain
Hands and Brain
Bushman hunters’ gestures,
a = ostrich b = antelope
c = fox d = giraffe
Difference in Speech Organs
Origin of language
? Plato
? The Holy Bible
? Chinese Myth of language origin
? Australian Myth of language origin
Tracing How People Talked in
the Past
? Philology
? Historical Linguistics
Sample and Analysis
? Language family
? Reconstruction
? Cognates
? Reconstruction
Cognates (I)
? Sound / Form
? Meaning
Cognates (II)
Meaning English German French Italian Spanish
手 hand hand main mano mano
[h?nd] [hant] [m?] [mano] [mano]
-------------------------------------------------------
Grouping,English/German = Germanic Language
German/French/Italian/Spanish
= Latin
Cognates (III)
? Reconstruction,
French Italian Spanish
main mano mano
Latin Proto Form,*mano
Does Language Keep Evolving?
Haaahhh…
Yelp…