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The Origin of Language and Communication Athena and Eve — Johnson Papers lution, editors Jones, Martin and Pilbeam conceded that The origin of ‘there are no non-human languages’, and then went on to observe that ‘language is an adaptation unique to humans, and yet the nature of its uniqueness and its biological basis language and are notoriously difficult to define’ [emphasis added].3 In his book, The Symbolic Species: The Co-Evolution of Language communication and the Brain, Terrance Deacon noted: ‘In this context, then, consider the case of Brad Harrub, Bert Thompson and human language. It is one of the most distinctive Dave Miller behavioral adaptations on the planet. Languages evolved in only one species, in only one way, with- By age four, most humans have developed an ability out precedent, except in the most general sense. to communicate through oral language. By age six And the differences between languages and all other 4 or seven, most humans can comprehend, as well as natural modes of communicating are vast.’ express, written thoughts. These unique abilities of What events transpired that have allowed humans to communicating through a native language clearly speak, while animals remain silent? If we are to believe the separate humans from all animals. The obvious evolutionary teaching currently taking place in colleges and question then arises, where did we obtain this dis- universities around the world, speech evolved as a natural tinctive trait? Organic evolution has proven unable to process over time. Yet no-one is quite sure how, and there elucidate the origin of language and communication. are no known animals that are in a transition phase from Knowing how beneficial this ability is to humans, non-speaking to speaking. In fact, in the Atlas of Languages, this remarkable admission can be found: ‘No languageless one would wonder why this skill has not evolved in 5 other species. Materialistic science is insufficient to community has ever been found’. This represents no small explain not only how speech came about, but also problem for evolution. In fact, the origin of speech and language (along with why we have so many different languages. Linguistic the development of sex and reproduction) remains one of research, combined with neurological studies, has the most significant hurdles in evolutionary theory, even in determined that human speech is highly dependent the twenty-first century. In an effort to ‘make the problem on a neuronal network located in specific sites within go away’, some evolutionists have chosen not to even ad- the brain. This intricate arrangement of neurons, and dress the problem. Jean Aitchison noted: the anatomical components necessary for speech, ‘In 1866, a ban on the topic was incorporated cannot be reduced in such a way that one could into the founding statues of the Linguistic Society produce a ‘transitional’ form of communication. of Paris, perhaps the foremost academic linguistic This paper examines the true origin of speech and institution of the time: “The Society does not ac- language, and the anatomical and physiological cept papers on either the origin of language or the requirements. The evidence conclusively implies invention of a universal language.”’6 that humans were created with the unique ability to That is an amazing (albeit inadvertent) admission employ speech for communication. of defeat, especially coming from a group of such eminent scientists, researchers and scholars. While remaining silent worked well for a while, evolutionists now realize that they need a materialistic answer for this problem. In 1994, an article appeared in Time magazine titled The truth of the matter is, however, that the origin of ‘How man began’. Within that article was the following human languages can be discerned—but not via the theory bold assertion: ‘No single, essential difference separates hu- of evolution. We invite your attention to the discussion man beings from other animals’.1 Yet, in what is obviously a that follows, which demonstrates conclusively that humans contradiction to such a statement, all evolutionists admit that were created with the unique ability to employ speech for communication via speech is uniquely human—so much communication. so that it often is used as the singular, and most important, dividing line between humans and animals. In his book, Evolutionary theories on the origin of speech Eve Spoke, evolutionist Philip Lieberman admitted: ‘Speech is so essential to our concept of in- Many animals are capable of using sounds to commu- telligence that its possession is virtually equated nicate. However, there is a colossal difference between the with being human. Animals who talk are human, hoot of an owl or the grunt of a pig, and a human standing because what sets us apart from other animals is the before an audience reciting Robert Frost’s The Road Not “gift” of speech’ [emphasis in original].2 Taken. This enormous chasm between humans and animals In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evo- has led to a multiplicity of theories on exactly how man TJ 17(3) 2003 93 Papers The origin of language and communication — Harrub, Thompson & Miller The origin of language and communication — Harrub, Thompson & Miller came upon this unequalled capability. Many researchers Zimmer summed it up well when he wrote: have focused on the capabilities of animals—sounds and ‘No one knows the exact chronology of this gestures—in an effort to understand the physiological evolution, because language leaves precious few mechanism underlying communication. But there is a single traces on the human skeleton. The voice box is common theme that stands out amid all the theories: ‘The a flimsy piece of cartilage that rots away. It is world’s languages evolved spontaneously. They were not suspended from a slender C-shaped bone called a designed’ [emphasis added].7 hyoid, but the ravages of time usually destroy the Design implies a designer; thus, evolutionists have hyoid too.’11 conjured up theories that consider language nothing more Thus, theories are plentiful—while the evidence to than a fortuitous chain of events. Most of these theories support those theories remains mysteriously unavailable. involve humans growing bigger brains, which then made it Add to this the fact that humans acquire the ability to com- physiologically possible for people to develop speech and municate (and even learn some of the basic rules of syntax) language. For instance, in the foreword of her book, The by the age of two, and you begin to see why Aitchison Seeds of Speech, Jean Aitchison hypothesized: admitted: ‘Physically, a deprived physical environment ‘Of course, holes still remain in our knowledge: led to more meat-eating and, as a result, a bigger in particular, at what stage did language leap from brain. The enlarged brain led to the premature birth being something new which humans discovered to of humans, and in consequence a protracted child- being something which every newborn human is hood, during which mothers cooed and crooned to scheduled to acquire? This is still a puzzle.’12 their offspring. An upright stance altered the shape A ‘puzzle’ indeed! of the mouth and vocal tract, allowing a range of coherent sounds to be uttered.’8 Adam—the first human to talk and communicate Thus, according to Aitchison, we can thank ‘a deprived physical environment’ for our ability to talk and In a chapter he titled ‘What, when, and where did Eve communicate. Another evolutionist, John McCrone, put it speak to Adam and he to her?’ Philip Lieberman com- this way: mented: ‘It all started with an ape that learned to speak. ‘In the five-million-year-long lineage that Man’s hominid ancestors were doing well enough, connects us to the common ancestors of apes and even though the world had slipped into the cold human beings, there have been many Adams and grip of the ice ages. They had solved a few key many Eves. In the beginning was the word, but the problems that had held back the other branches of vocal communications of our most distant hominid the ape family, such as how to find enough food ancestors five million years or so ago probably to feed their rather oversized brains. Then man’s didn’t really differ from those of the ape-hominid ancestors happened on the trick of language. Sud- ancestor.’13 denly, a whole new mental landscape opened up. Using biblical terminology, Lieberman had written Man became self-aware and self-possessed.’9 a year earlier: ‘For with speech came a capacity for thought Question: How (and why) did that first ape learn to that had never existed before, and that has transformed the speak? It is easy to assert that ‘it all started with an ape that world. In the beginning was the word.’14 learned to speak’. But it is much more difficult to describe When God created the first human beings—Adam and how this took place, especially in light of our failure to teach Eve—He created them in His own image (Genesis 1:26–27). apes to speak today. In his book, From Hand to Mouth: The This likeness unquestionably included the ability to engage Origins of Language, Michael Corballis stated: in intelligible speech via human language. In fact, God ‘My own view is that language developed much spoke to them from the very beginning of their existence more gradually, starting with the gestures of apes, as humans (Genesis 1:28–30). Hence, they possessed the then gathering momentum as the bipedal hominins ability to understand verbal communication—and to speak evolved. The appearance of the larger-brained themselves! genus Homo some 2 million years ago may have God gave very specific instructions to the man before signaled the emergence and later development of the woman was even created (Genesis 2:15–17).
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