The Origins of

Language
Pooh-Pooh Theory
• The idea that speech comes from the automatic
vocal responses to pain, fear, surprise, or other
emotions: a laugh, a shriek, a gasp. But plenty
of animals make these kinds of sounds too, and
they didn't end up with language.
• Language began with interjections, instinctive
emotive cries such as oh! for surprise and ouch!
for pain.
Urghhhhh!
Zzzzzzzz
zzzzz!
Grrrrrr!
Waaaaaah!
Haaaaaa?!
 La-La Theory

• Danish linguist Otto Jesperson suggested that

language comes out of play, laughter, cooing,
courtship, emotional mutterings and the like. 
He even suggested 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.
 THE BOW-WOW
THEORY

• The idea that speech arose from people

imitating the sounds that things make: Bow-
wow, moo, baa, etc. Not likely, since very few
things we talk about have characteristic
sounds associated with them, and very few of
our words sound anything at all like what they
mean.
 THE POOH-POOH
THEORY

• The idea that speech comes from the

automatic vocal responses to pain, fear,
surprise, or other emotions: a laugh, a shriek,
a gasp. But plenty of animals make these
kinds of sounds too, and they didn't end up
with language.
 THE DING-DONG
THEORY

• The idea that speech reflects some mystical

resonance or harmony connected with things
in the world. Unclear how one would
investigate this.
THE YO-HE-HO THEORY

• The idea that speech started with the rhythmic

chants and grunts people used to coordinate
their physical actions when they worked
together. There's a pretty big difference
between this kind of thing and what we do
most of the time with language.
 THE TA-TA THEORY

• The idea that speech came from the use of

tongue and mouth gestures to mimic manual
gestures. For example, saying ta-ta is like
waving goodbye with your tongue. But most
of the things we talk about do not have
characteristic gestures associated with them,
much less gestures you can imitate with the
tongue and mouth.
 THE MAMA THEORY

• Language began with the easiest syllables

attached to the most significant objects.
 THE MAMA THEORY

• Language began with the easiest syllables

attached to the most significant objects.
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...
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.
 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.
 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.
 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!
 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!