What is language?: When did humans develop language?

When did humans develop language?

Humans are social beings. Language is a critical tool in our communication; without language, everything we have ever developed – or ever will develop – would be impossible. Language was developed thousands of years ago, and we continue to decipher early methods of communication in an effort to prevent them from dying altogether. The first forms of communication were quite primeval, and yet infinite possibilities have advanced from this early development. Without language to communicate with others, humans would have been severely restricted in their capabilities. Even animals have methods of communication which enable them to hunt and coordinate in larger groups. Communication allows for greater efficiency, and humans would have discovered early on that they could not survive without language.

The first forms of language would be quite basic, as any innovation is in its beginnings. Signs and physical gestures are a less refined method of communicating than speaking and writing, but can be used to great effect. Spoken language would have been a natural progression, as verbally expressing thoughts would enable greater efficiency and more freedom. By speaking aloud, humans and animals are able to communicate messages over vast distances. Writing has been used by human civilisation for thousands of years, but is relatively new in comparison to the other two modes of language. Early writing systems were not formulated using the same alphabets we see today, but commenced using pictures and symbols representing words. The Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians wrote in hieroglyphics, using a series of images to record information and communicate stories or messages. Indigenous people like Aborigines painted images and performed dances and rituals to tell their Dreamtime stories. The foundations of writing have been in place for thousands of years, but the written forms of language we use are newer by comparison. Written language still appears in various forms, such as in China, where symbols can represent a whole word or phrase. English is thought to have originated in the 600’s. Based on the Roman alphabet that was brought to Anglo-Saxon England, this system was used by Christian missionaries and church officials. These have been remarkable achievements for mankind, and are arguably what distinguishes us from animals.

As technology progresses and communications are the foundations upon which our society is built on, language is as critical as ever, and it is exciting to think what it will unlock in the future.