The Evolutionary Origins of Language: Validating a New Theory

Abstract

The origins of language have long been a subject of debate and speculation. Although hypotheses of how language might have originated have been formed, these hypotheses are outdated at best and no attempts have been made to improve on these theories or to formulate new ones. This study hence aims to devise a new theory discussing the origins of language by taking into account the shortcomings of existing theories and resolving these to form a new, more comprehensive theory. The new theory is structured as a process which, rather than only suggesting a single point from which language might have originated, focuses on detailing the entire process from language origin to present day modern language. This study also aims to provide evidence to substantiate the validity of the theory through reviews of
existing research and analysis of documented proto-languages such as Proto-Indo-European (PIE) and Proto-Austronesian (PAN). Several areas of research that may provide further support for the theory will also be suggested. As such, this study will demonstrate that the issue of language origin does not have to be speculative in nature and can be based on tangible evidence such as hominin anatomy, genetics, documented proto-languages, and even modern languages.