• Question: I'm not to sure if this is related to science, but, how were languages invented? Because back when we first evolved into humans and someone said something, they couldnt really tell someone what they just meant, because they wouldnt know what they just said meant!? I hope you get what i mean :P

    Asked by hollylewisdavies to Laura, Lily, Mark, Paul, Sarah on 22 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Lily Asquith

      Lily Asquith answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Interesting question. I often wonder how music evolved, which I guess is a similar question.

      I suppose before we had language we already had sounds that we communicated with, like other animals. The reason this question is so interesting is that language is essentially what makes us human. Other animals communicate through sound, but to nowhere near the extent of complexity that we do.

      It would have been a very gradual process, just like everything in evolution.

    • Photo: Mark Roberts

      Mark Roberts answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Kind of – but i you think about it the ability to use language to pass on complex ideas and information has a huge selective advantage – so it probably started off as different noises and grunts and as the information passed on become more complex so did the language.

      Does that answer your qu?

    • Photo: Sarah Bardsley

      Sarah Bardsley answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I get what you mean and it is confusing. I don’t know anything about the histiry of language but agree with you that it is fascinating. Perhaps do a search on Google to find out. And let me know!

    • Photo: Laura Maliszewski

      Laura Maliszewski answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      That’s a great question, do we have any anthropologist on IAS?

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