takdang aralin: theories on the origins of language

Paano nga ba nagsimula ang wika?

Kung iisipin ang hirap matrace ang pinagmulan ng wika dahil ito ay nag-exist ng mahabang mahabang mahabang mahabang panahon na( hehe). At wala din atang dokyumento na nagsasaad ng mga pinagmulan nito. Dahil sa walang kasiguraduahn ng pinagmulan ng wika ang mga tao ay gumawa nalang ng mga spekulasyon at teoriya na maaring makapaliwanag kung saan nagsimula ang wika. Ang mga sumusunod ay mga iba't ibang teoriya ukol sa pinagmulan ng wika: (from: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/langorigins.html)

1. The mama theory. Language began with the easiest syllables attached to the most significant objects.
2. The ta-ta theory. Sir Richard Paget, influenced by Darwin, believed that body movement preceded language. Language began as an unconscious vocal imitation of these movements -- like the way a child’s mouth will move when they use scissors, or my tongue sticks out when I try to play the guitar. This evolved into the popular idea that language may have derived from gestures.
3. The bow-wow theory. Language began as imitations of natural sounds -- moo, choo-choo, crash, clang, buzz, bang, meow... This is more technically refered to as onomatopoeia or echoism.
4. The pooh-pooh theory. Language began with interjections, instinctive emotive cries such as oh! for surprise and ouch! for pain.
5. The ding-dong theory. Some people, including the famous linguist Max Muller, have pointed out that there is a rather mysterious correspondence between sounds and meanings. Small, sharp, high things tend to have words with high front vowels in many languages, while big, round, low things tend to have round back vowels! Compare itsy bitsy teeny weeny with moon, for example. This is often referred to as sound symbolism.
6. The yo-he-ho theory. Language began as rhythmic chants, perhaps ultimately from the grunts of heavy work (heave-ho!). The linguist A. S. Diamond suggests that these were perhaps calls for assistance or cooperation accompanied by appropriate gestures. This may relate yo-he-ho to the ding-dong theory, as in such words as cut, break, crush, strike...
7. The sing-song theory. Danish linguist Jesperson suggested that language comes out of play, laughter, cooing, courtship, emotional mutterings and the like. He even suggests that, contrary to other theories, perhaps some of our first words were actually long and musical, rather than the short grunts many assume we started with.
8. The hey you! theory. A linguist by the name of Revesz suggested that we have always needed interpersonal contact, and that language began as sounds to signal both identity (here I am!) and belonging (I’m with you!). We may also cry out in fear, anger, or hurt (help me!). This is more commonly called the contact theory.
9. The hocus pocus theory. My own contribution to these is the idea that language may have had some roots in a sort of magical or religious aspect of our ancestors' lives. Perhaps we began by calling out to game animals with magical sounds, which became their names.
10. The eureka! theory. And finally, perhaps language was consciously invented. Perhaps some ancestor had the idea of assigning arbitrary sounds to mean certain things. Clearly, once the idea was had, it would catch on like wild-fire!

Para sa akin ang bawat teoriya ay may kanya kanyang kakulangan sa katangian. Bawat isa ay hindi gaanong makakapaliwanag ng pinagmulan ng wika. Simple lang ang mga paliwanag ng mga teoriya pero may mga posibilidad na maaring ganoon nga nagsimula ang wika.

Kung papapiliin ako kung ano ang pinakamagandang teoriya na makakpaliwanag sa pinagmulan ng wika ang pipiliin ko ay ang teoriyang bow wow at teoriyang eureka. Sa teoriyang bow wow, posibleng noong unang panahon ginagaya ng mga tao ang mga tunog ng hayop at doon nagsimula ang pagbuo ng mga tunog ng vowels at consonants hanggang gumawa sila ng mga kumbinasyon ng nitong dalawa at nakagawa sila ng mga salita. Sa teoriyang eureka, kaya ito ang isa sa mga pinili ko dahil ito ay napakasimple at sa tingin ko ay ang pinakakatanggap tanggap na teoriya. Kung tutuusin may kakayahan nga naman tayong mga tao na magisisip at magassign ng mga mga arbitaryong tunog sa bawat bagay.

Wala talagang makakapaliwanag ng pinagmulan ng wika pero tayo'y dapat magpasalamat dahil sa wika tayo ay nagkakabuklod buklod =]