Re: Baby Babble Early Human Language?

Dan Sulani wrote:

> Sorry, I can't help myself!  _That_ old chestnut is still
> making the rounds? It was laughed out of serious
> linguistics consideration back almost 30 years ago
> when I was learning linguistics!
Over 100 years ago, indeed. There are baby-talk names
for all the (hopelessly unprovable) theories of speech
origins: this one is the "tra-la" theory IIRC.

The pooh-pooh theory is that speech came from emotional
cries indicating fear, anger, etc; the bow-wow theory
is that humans started talking by
imitating animals; the yo-he-ho theory is that speech
arose from automatic outcries made during exertion;
the ding-dong theory is that "Adam called the tiger
'tiger' because it looked like a tiger" aka
"natural qualities called forth the instinctive
invention of appropriate names", etc. etc.

All hopelessly lacking in evidence.

--

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis um dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)