Who created words?

[mawes12]

Does anyone have any idea of who created words?

 

[Skrej]

Humans, a very long time ago.

 

[Esredux]

And it looks like they still are. ;-)

 

[mawes12]

Does nobody have a clue who really did it?

 

[Skrej]

There isn't even agreement on when or where, little alone who. Probably some Neanderthal (literally).

Human speech is estimated to have started somewhere between 65,000-100,000 years ago. Theories differ. There's not even agreement on where to draw the line between words and sounds with meaning. There's no definitive way to prove anything it was so long ago. Writing, on the other hand, is relatively new, having started only (roughly around 8,000-10,000 years ago).

One consistent feature of any language, is that it evolves. New words are constantly being invented, old words drop out of usage. Those words are created by the speakers of a given language (or sometimes borrowed from another language).

So I wasn't joking when I said "humans" - assuming you don't want to argue the difference between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens.

 

[mawes12]

I thought someone would know but it looks like it is a mystery.

 

[Tdol]

There are various theories about how language emerged, but the answer is that we do not know. Speech evolved long before writing, so there are no records, which makes the theories speculation. We can say where and when writing emerged, but the words already existed. All human societies, however,have language. The words they use are arbitrary- it's simply a matter of a speech community agreeing to use a word for something. Some people suggest that language is innate- humans are born with the desire/need for it, and they then adapt to the words and grammar around them. This doesn't explain why English speakers say table, and other languages use different words,but it could explain why we feel the need to name it.

 

[mawes12]

at least you guys are honest and won't say lies to finish the question. I think drawing and vision is everyone's language. Am I right?

 

[Raymott]

I think drawing and vision is everyone's language. Am I right?

No. They say that music is an international language. At least music has the comparative advantage of making a sound.

 

[mawes12]

How does sound connect with understanding?

 

[Tdol]

How does sound connect with understanding?

Again, it is arbitrary. Even onomatopoeia, where the sounds are supposed to reflect the meaning, are cultural- there are many different ways of describing common sounds like dogs barking or cockerels. We need sounds to convey meaning, but the sounds we use vary from language to language, and most of the time have little connection to the meaning we convey. We absorb the sounds others use and follow the patterns.

 

[mawes12]

Again, it is arbitrary. Even onomatopoeia, where the sounds are supposed to reflect the meaning, are cultural- there are many different ways of describing common sounds like dogs barking or cockerels. We need sounds to convey meaning, but the sounds we use vary from language to language, and most of the time have little connection to the meaning we convey. We absorb the sounds others use and follow the patterns.

I kinda disagree but maybe you are kinda right.

 

[Skrej]

Do some Google searches on animal sounds by language to see some incredibly interesting, as well as highly amusing, lists of how animal sounds vary by language. Most are fairly similar and/or logically different, with some exceptions - how the Japanese hear 'boon boon' as representative of a bee 'buzz' or 'boo boo' for a pig's 'oink' is beyond me.

These differences seem like a fun thesis paper for somebody in an Applied Linguistics program. Either that, or the title of a good children's book - "Old McDonald's World Vacation".

 

[mawes12]

Do some Google searches on animal sounds by language to see some incredibly interesting, as well as highly amusing, lists of how animal sounds vary by language. Most are fairly similar and/or logically different, with some exceptions - how the Japanese hear 'boon boon' as representative of a bee 'buzz' or 'boo boo' for a pig's 'oink' is beyond me.

These differences seem like a fun thesis paper for somebody in an Applied Linguistics program. Either that, or the title of a good children's book - "Old McDonald's World Vacation".

This is kinda interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oIew0m-3HU&feature=youtu.be.

 

[mawes12]

If nobody alive created the first words I really don't understand why some people be correcting others or why there is unnecessary corrections.

 

[emsr2d2]

How could words not be created by someone who was alive? Do you think dead people created words?

As an aside, if I ever find out who created "kinda", I will hunt them down, dead or alive, and make them sorry.

 

[mawes12]

How could words not be created by someone who was alive? Do you think dead people created words?

As an aside, if I ever find out who created "kinda", I will hunt them down, dead or alive, and make them sorry.

I meant the first person who created the first words or the first language. Why is it bad to use "kinda"?

 

[mawes12]

Look at the synonym of https://www.google.com/search?q=kind+of&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=kind+of+definition.

 

[Tdol]

The fact that a word is in the dictionaries does not mean that it is fine to use it in all contexts.

 

[mawes12]

The fact that a word is in the dictionaries does not mean that it is fine to use it in all contexts.

Are you saying 'kinda' isn't fine or 'kind of' isn't fine? and Why isn't it fine?