Knowledge Builders

when did people first language start

by Eldred Mraz Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The People First Respectful Language Modernization Act of 2006 was enacted by the Council of the District of Columba on July 11, 2006 to “require the use of respectful language when referring to people with disabilities in all new and revised District laws, regulations, rules, and publications and all internet ...

Full Answer

When did people begin to use language?

— Genesis 10:25; 11:18-26. Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language —the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. * Others claim that today’s languages are related to several root languages spoken at least 6,000 years ago.

When was the states formed in the basis of languages?

The correct answer is “Odisha”. It was the first state to be formed on the basis of language in 1936 way before Andhra was formed. It was formed after rigorous efforts from Parala Maharaja Krushnachandra Gajapati, Madhusudan Das and many more blessed sons of odisha.

What was the first language spoken by man?

“What is the first language spoken by man and why is it chosen as the first language?” There is no way to know what your question is asking. The oldest known language for which we have records is Sumerian, and the earliest records go back about 5,000 years. Languages are also not chosen, they evolve with the social groups that speak them.

When did human language first appear?

The results suggest that language first evolved around 50,000–150,000 years ago, which is around the time when modern Homo sapiens evolved.

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Where did first language originated?

the United StatesThe term people-first language first appeared in 1988 as recommended by advocacy groups in the United States. The usage has been widely adopted by speech-language pathologists and researchers, with "person who stutters" (PWS) replacing "stutterer".

How did person-first language come about?

In 1992, the American Psychological Association led the movement toward the use of person-first language. Referring to people first was thought of as an alternative to labeling individuals, which may have led to promotion of biases, devaluing of individuals, and expressing negative attitudes.

What is the first language of a person?

A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period.

What is person First vs identity first language?

Person first language emphasizes the person before the disability, for example “person who is blind” or “people with spinal cord injuries.” Identity first language puts the disability first in the description, e.g., “disabled” or “autistic." Person first or identify first language is equally appropriate depending on ...

Is person-first language outdated?

When in doubt, person-first language is still a safe bet. Even though it is awkward and inherently ableist, it is considered routine etiquette by most people. But there are some clear exceptions, such as the Deaf community– and, overwhelmingly, the autistic community.

Do blind people prefer identity-first language?

Person-first language is preferred and encouraged in many contexts, especially medical care. However, some people prefer identity-first language—notably many blind, deaf, and autistic people. Still, preferences around such approaches vary widely, even among people within the same community.

Did Adam and Eve have a language?

The Adamic language, according to Jewish tradition (as recorded in the midrashim) and some Christians, is the language spoken by Adam (and possibly Eve) in the Garden of Eden.

Which language is oldest in world?

The world's 10 oldest languages in the worldEgyptian – 2690 BC (circa. 4700 years old) ... Sanskrit – 1500 BC (circa. 3500 years old) ... Greek – 1450 BC (circa. 3500 years old) ... Chinese – 1250 BC (circa. 3300 years old) ... Aramaic – 1100 BC (circa. 3100 years old) ... Hebrew – 1000 BC (circa. 3000 years old)More items...•

Did Native Americans have a language?

Native American tribes have lived and thrived upon the North American landscape for thousands of years—since long before there was a United States. Historically, about 500 distinct Native languages were spoken in North America. All Code Talkers were fluent speakers of their tribes' languages.

Why do autistic people prefer identity first language?

Many autistic people and autism experts and advocates prefer identity-first language because it indicates that being autistic is an inherent part of a person's identity, not an addition to it.

How do autistic people talk?

Do sayautistic adult/people/child.person/child on the autism spectrum (note: this is informed by research, which indicates that there is a growing preference for positive identity first language, particularly among autistic adults)is autistic.is on the autism spectrum.has an autism diagnosis.More items...

What is the politically correct term for autistic?

Professionals preferred to use “person with autism” while autistic adults and family members preferred on the whole to use “is autistic”.

What is first and second language?

First language is a language that one acquires from birth and a second language is a non-native language usually learned at a later stage. In a nutshell, native languages are regarded as first languages whereas non-native languages are referred to as second languages.

What is identity first language example?

Identity-first language puts the descriptor first, and is more common among specific disability communities. One such example is the deaf community, where “deaf person” is generally preferred over “person with deafness”.

What is person-first language in mental health?

Person-first (or person-centered) language refers to choosing and using words that recognize and refer to individuals – first and foremost – as people. This demonstrates respect for each person's basic humanity. It emphasizes their unique traits, strengths, and worth.

What is person-first language and why is it important?

Person First language or People First Language (PFL) prioritizes the personhood of the people rather than their identity. Using Identity First Language reinforces the labels placed on individuals rather than their status as people.

When did the first language appear?

The earliest possible dates are developed through indirect evidence since spoken words leave nothing in the archaeological record. Thanks to archaeological finds, we know the first writing system, cuneiform, appeared by 5300 BCE and would have required spoken language to exist before that.

When was the language invented?

Although the age of language is more difficult to pinpoint on the oldest end of the spectrum, we have a definite minimum age for language based on archaeological evidence. The oldest known system of writing, called cuneiform dates back to around 5300 BCE and was developed by the Sumerians. As the development of writing depends on an existing spoken language, we know language can be no younger than that.

How old is language?

However, most theorists believe language to only be between 40,000 and 50,000 years old, as humans had to develop certain anatomical and behavior features in order to speak.

How many mutations are needed to make a language?

Our human ancestors would only need two mutation to communicate through sound. The first mutation would allow them to control the type of calls they made and produce standardized sounds at will. The other mutation would enable them to interpret sounds with more complex meaning. These changes might not result in the type of complex languages we see today, but they could result in a protolanguage.

What is the maximum age of human language?

We cannot say with certainty what the maximum possible age of human language could be. What we do know is that human language is unlike any form of communication used by other animals. For this reason, we know it had to develop after our genetic lineage split from that of our nearest relatives, chimpanzees.

Why is language important in our lives?

Language is the primary way that we humans interact with one another. It strengthens interpersonal relationships, allows us to perform cooperative tasks, share and learn skills, and collect the information we use to make amazing advancements in every field.

How long has language existed?

A 2013 study suggests language may have existed for the last 1.75 million years, rather than the more common beliefs placing it around 40,000 - 50,000 years old. This study cites the sudden appearance of in sophisticated stone tool production.

When did people first use language?

Recommendations and explanations to use person-first language date back as early as around 1960. In her classic textbook, Beatrice Wright (1960) [3a] began her rationale for avoiding the dangers of terminological short cuts like "disabled person" by citing studies from the field of semantics that "show that language is not merely an instrument for voicing ideas but that it also plays a role in shaping ideas" (p. 7). She concludes her arguments thus: "Since physique does stimulate value judgments, it is particularly important to use expressions insofar as feasible that separate physical attributes from the total person" (p. 8). Another influential rehabilitation psychologist, Carolyn Vash, who also spoke from the perspective of her experience living with quadriplegia from polio, advanced similar arguments for person-first language in an unpublished address in 1959.

What is person first language?

Person-first language avoids using labels or adjectives to define someone, utilising terms such as "a person with diabetes " or "a person with alcoholism ", instead of "a diabetic" or "an alcoholic". The intention is that a person is seen foremost as a person and only secondly as a person with some trait. Advocates of person-first language point to the failure to mentally separate the person from the trait as reinforcing a sense that both the trait and the person are inherently bad or inferior, leading to discrimination whilst also implicitly reinforcing a sense of permanency even regarding issues that are likely to be temporary. For example, a person with a substance use disorder has a fair chance of achieving long-term remission —many years in which they are healthy and productive—but calling them a "substance abuser" reinforces an unspoken sense that they are inherently and permanently tainted and casts doubt on maintenance of remission.

What is the alternative to person first language?

The most common alternative to person-first language is usually called identity-first language. For example, while someone who prefers person-first language might ask to be called a "person with autism", someone who prefers identity-first language would ask to be called an "autistic person". Others have proposed "person-centered language", which, instead of being a replacement linguistic rule, promotes prioritizing the preferences of those who are being referred to and argues for greater nuance in the language used to describe people and groups of people.

Where is people first language normative?

As of 2017, the rules of people-first language have become normative in US governmental institutions on the federal (e.g . CDC) and on state levels in the health departments' Developmental Disabilities Councils e.g. Michigan West Virginia Idaho, Missouri Georgia, or Texas.

Is "hard of hearing" a deaf language?

Correct terms to use for this group would be "Deaf person" or "hard of hearing person". The phrase "hearing impaired" is not acceptable to most Deaf or hard of hearing people because it emphasizes what they cannot do.

Is people first language used for obesity?

Use has been recommended in other increasingly common chronic conditions, such as asthma and diabetes. Non-profit organizations, such as the Obesity Action Coalition have expanded advocacy for People-First Language to obesity. As of 2017, 5 U.S. medical societies had pledged for it, and use it in their communications: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, The Obesity Society, American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Is person first language a disability?

It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette but person-first language can also be more generally applied to any group that would otherwise be defined or mentally categorized by a condition or trait (for example, race, age, or appearance ).

Who discovered the first language?

History contains a number of anecdotes about people who attempted to discover the origin of language by experiment. The first such tale was told by Herodotus ( Histories 2.2). He relates that Pharaoh Psammetichus (probably Psammetichus I, 7th century BC) had two children raised by a shepherd, with the instructions that no one should speak to them, but that the shepherd should feed and care for them while listening to determine their first words. When one of the children cried "bekos" with outstretched arms the shepherd concluded that the word was Phrygian, because that was the sound of the Phrygian word for "bread". From this, Psammetichus concluded that the first language was Phrygian. King James V of Scotland is said to have tried a similar experiment; his children were supposed to have spoken Hebrew.

Which tradition considers language as a human invention?

Humanistic theory. The humanistic tradition considers language as a human invention. Renaissance philosopher Antoine Arnauld gave a detailed description of his idea of the origin of language in Port-Royal Grammar.

What is the mother tongue hypothesis?

The "mother tongues" hypothesis was proposed in 2004 as a possible solution to this problem. W. Tecumseh Fitch suggested that the Darwinian principle of ' kin selection ' —the convergence of genetic interests between relatives—might be part of the answer. Fitch suggests that languages were originally 'mother tongues'. If language evolved initially for communication between mothers and their own biological offspring, extending later to include adult relatives as well, the interests of speakers and listeners would have tended to coincide. Fitch argues that shared genetic interests would have led to sufficient trust and cooperation for intrinsically unreliable signals—words—to become accepted as trustworthy and so begin evolving for the first time.

Why did Ferdinand de Saussure abandon evolutionary linguistics?

Structural linguist Ferdinand de Saussure abandoned evolutionary linguistics after having come to the firm conclusion that it would not be able to provide any further revolutionary insight after the completion of the major works in historical linguistics by the end of the 19th century. Saussure was particularly sceptical of the attempts of August Schleicher and other Darwinian linguists to access prehistorical languages through series of reconstructions of proto-languages.

How is language used in humans?

Human language is used for self-expression; however, expression displays different stages. The consciousness of self and feelings represents the stage immediately prior to the external, phonetic expression of feelings in the form of sound, i.e., language. Intelligent animals such as dolphins, Eurasian magpies, and chimpanzees live in communities, wherein they assign themselves roles for group survival and show emotions such as sympathy. When such animals view their reflection ( mirror test ), they recognise themselves and exhibit self-consciousness. Notably, humans evolved in a quite different environment than that of these animals. Human survival became easier with the development of tools, shelter, and fire, thus facilitating further advancement of social interaction, self-expression, and tool-making, as for hunting and gathering. The increasing brain size allowed advanced provisioning and tools and the technological advances during the Palaeolithic era that built upon the previous evolutionary innovations of bipedalism and hand versatility allowed the development of human language.

When did humans first appear in the fossil record?

Anatomically modern humans begin to appear in the fossil record in Ethiopia some 200,000 years ago . Although there is still much debate as to whether behavioural modernity emerged in Africa at around the same time, a growing number of archaeologists nowadays invoke the southern African Middle Stone Age use of red ochre pigments—for example at Blombos Cave —as evidence that modern anatomy and behaviour co-evolved. These archaeologists argue strongly that if modern humans at this early stage were using red ochre pigments for ritual and symbolic purposes, they probably had symbolic language as well.

Which language has the most phonemes?

The survey revealed that African languages had the largest number of phonemes, and Oceania and South America had the smallest number. After allowing for the number of speakers, the phonemic diversity was compared to over 2000 possible origin locations.

Which genus is the earliest bound on speech ability?

Rather than 27 million years, Hickok proposes that the earliest bound on any sort of speech ability would be nearer to human ancestors’ split with the Pan genus , which includes chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest living relatives.

How are language and jewelry related?

The idea is that both language and jewelry are intimately related to the evolution of symbolic thinking. Locke, meanwhile, says that “not for a minute” does he believe that the dawn of speech could have happened 27 million years ago.

When did the LDT start?

Its authors argue that the anatomical ingredients for speech were present in our ancestors much earlier than 200,000 years ago . In fact, they propose that the necessary equipment—specifically, the throat shape and motor control that produce distinguishable vowels—has been around as long as 27 million years, when humans and Old World monkeys (baboons, mandrills, and the like) last shared a common ancestor.

Who developed the laryngeal descent theory?

The researcher generally credited with developing laryngeal descent theory is Philip Lieberman, now a professor at Brown University. He called the new paper “just a complete misrepresentation of the entire field,” among other things. One of the quantitative models the new study relies on, he says, doesn’t properly represent the shape of the larynx, tongue, and other parts we use to talk: “It would convert a mailing tube into a human vocal tract.” And according to Lieberman, laryngeal descent theory “never claimed language was not possible” prior to the critical changes in our ancestors’ throat anatomy. “They’re trying to set up a straw man,” he said.

What did Hickok say when he was being trained in linguistics?

Hickok said that when he was being trained in linguistics, “this was an established, almost dogmatic idea.”. The new study is a dramatic reversal of the status quo, he said: “The phrase that came to mind when I finished it was mic drop .”. Still, he doesn’t agree entirely with Sawallis and his co-authors’ conclusions.

When did humans start speaking?

About the only definitive evidence we have is the shape of the vocal tract (the mouth, tongue, and throat): Until anatomically modern humans, about 100,000 years ago , the shape of hominid vocal tracts didn't permit the modern range of speech sounds. But that doesn't mean that language necessarily began then.

How did humans get their language?

Obviously, it couldn't have been a bunch of cavemen sitting around and deciding to make up a language, since in order to do so, they would have had to have a language to start with! Intuitively, one might speculate that hominids (human ancestors) started by grunting or hooting or crying out, and 'gradually' this 'somehow' developed into the sort of language we have today. (Such speculations were so rampant 150 years ago that in 1866 the French Academy banned papers on the origins of language!) The problem is in the 'gradually' and the 'somehow'. Chimps grunt and hoot and cry out, too. What happened to humans in the 6 million years or so since the hominid and chimpanzee lines diverged, and when and how did hominid communication begin to have the properties of modern language?

How did hominids develop language?

Intuitively, one might speculate that hominids (human ancestors) started by grunting or hooting or crying out, and 'gradually' this 'somehow' developed into the sort of language we have today. (Such speculations were so rampant 150 years ago that in 1866 the French Academy banned papers on the origins of language!)

What are the unique aspects of language?

This issue is particularly controversial. Some researchers claim that everything in language is built out of other human abilities: the ability for vocal imitation, the ability to memorize vast amounts of information (both needed for learning words), the desire to communicate, the understanding of others' intentions and beliefs, and the ability to cooperate. Current research seems to show that these human abilities are absent or less highly developed in apes. Other researchers acknowledge the importance of these factors but argue that hominid brains required additional changes that adapted them specifically for language.

What is the difficulty in studying the evolution of language?

The basic difficulty with studying the evolution of language is that the evidence is so sparse. Spoken languages don't leave fossils, and fossil skulls only tell us the overall shape and size of hominid brains, not what the brains could do. About the only definitive evidence we have is the shape of the vocal tract (the mouth, tongue, ...

What is the cause of the language deficit?

One tantalizing source of evidence has emerged recently. A mutation in a gene called FOXP2 has been shown to lead to deficits in language as well as in control of the face and mouth. This gene is a slightly altered version of a gene found in apes, and it seems to have achieved its present form between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago. It is very tempting therefore to call FOXP2 a 'language gene', but nearly everyone regards this as oversimplified. Are individuals afflicted with this mutation really language impaired or do they just have trouble speaking? On top of that, despite great advances in neuroscience, we currently know very little about how genes determine the growth and structure of brains or how the structure of the brain determines the ability to use language. Nevertheless, if we are ever going to learn more about how the human language ability evolved, the most promising evidence will probably come from the human genome, which preserves so much of our species' history. The challenge for the future will be to decode it.

What would a final change or series of changes add to a protolanguage?

A final change or series of changes would add to 'protolanguage' a richer structure, encompassing such grammatical devices as plural markers, tense markers, relative clauses, and complement clauses ("Joe thinks that the earth is flat"). Again, some hypothesize that this could have been a purely cultural development, and some think it required genetic changes in the brains of speakers. The jury is still out.

Why is person first language important?

The intention is to decrease the focus that is placed upon the diagnosis and increase the focus on the person with the diagnosis. By decreasing the stigma of disability, there is hope that greater equality will exist. The use of person-first language has been widely adopted and is considered standard in government documents, scientific journals, various organizations’ publications, and by the United Nations.10,17When person-first language is used in a plural sense, using the phrase “patients with chronic pain” instead of “chronic pain patients,” it fights the notion of the “one size fits all” mentality.15

What was the first self advocacy conference?

The “People First” movement began during that conference, advocating for people to be placed before their disabilities.3The movement sought to empower individuals with a disability by placing emphasis on their individuality and personhood rather than their impairments. One year later, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act mandated that all children should receive a “free and appropriate public education” in the “least restrictive setting.”4That same year, the Federal Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act required that states develop protection and advocacy programs in order to receive federal funding.4Since that time, the number of individuals with disabilities who are institutionalized has significantly decreased, and efforts have been made for greater community integration. Increased community integration has allowed for greater opportunities for advocacy and also forced a shift in how the community at large views people with a disability. This shift in how individuals with a disability are viewed has resulted in a change in language, as language reflects how members of society view each other.5

Is there a shift in language in scholarly journals?

A shift in language can be found most notably in scholarly journals. Most scholarly journals now require that articles submitted for publication use person-first language.15,16This change is not as noticeable in practice. Health care practitioners may not consistently use person-first language, especially when communicating with other health care professionals. There seems to be a chasm between what is expected in an academic setting vs clinical practice. Why is there a disconnection between what is taught in health professions education and expected in scholarly journals, and what is typically practiced in health care settings?

What is the meaning of "people first language"?

As the term implies, People First Language refers to the individual first and the disability second. It’s saying “a child with autism” instead of “the autistic.” While some people may not use preferred terminology, it’s important you don’t repeat negative terms that stereotype, devalue or discriminate — just as you’d avoid racial slurs or saying “gals” instead of “women.”

Why is it important to eliminate prejudicial language?

As part of the effort to end discrimination and segregation — in employment, education and our communities at large — it’s important to eliminate prejudicial language. Every individual regardless of sex, age, race or ability deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

How many years ago did humans speak one language?

Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language —the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. * Others claim that today’s languages are related to several root languages spoken at least 6,000 years ago. But how do linguists reconstruct the development of extinct languages? “That is tricky,” says the Economist magazine. “Unlike biologists, linguists do not have fossils to guide them through the past.” The magazine adds that one evolutionary linguist arrives at his conclusions by “mathematically informed guesswork.”

Who wrote the book The Evolution of Language?

These and other conflicting theories have caused many to agree with Professor W. T. Fitch , who wrote in his book The Evolution of Language: “We do not yet have fully convincing answers.”.

What does the Bible say about the language of Babel?

The Bible account says that at Babel, God acted to “confuse their language that they may not listen to [“understand,” footnote] one another’ s language.” ( Genesis 11:7) As a result, the workers “left off building the city” of Babel and were scattered “over all the surface of the earth.” ( Genesis 11:8, 9) Thus, the Bible does not say that all modern languages can be traced to a single “mother tongue.” Rather, it describes the sudden appearance of several apparently fully developed new languages, each capable of expressing the range of human feeling and thought and each different and distinct from the others.

How do languages shape the world?

Languages shape the way people think about and describe the world around them —color, quantity, location, direction. For example, in one language a person says, “There is a bug on your right hand.” But in another language, one would say, “There is a bug on your southwest hand.” Such differences would be confusing, to say the least. No wonder the builders at Babel found it impossible to continue their project.

What was the significance of the confusion of languages at Babel?

The confusion of languages at Babel hindered mankind’s ability to combine their intellectual and physical powers. Yet, their new languages, like the first language, were complex. Within a few centuries, men built bustling cities, assembled powerful armies, and engaged in international trade.

Where did the confusion of language and dispersion of the people take place?

The Bible states that the confusion of language and dispersion of the people took place “in the land of Shinar, ” later called Babylonia. ( Genesis 11:2) When did that happen? “The earth [“earth’s population,” footnote] was divided,” says the Bible, in the days of Peleg, who was born about 250 years before Abraham.

Who was the first man to write new words?

The Bible reports that the first man, Adam , was able to coin new words when he named all the animals and flying creatures. ( Genesis 2:20) Adam also composed poetry to express his feelings for his wife, and she clearly described what God had commanded and the consequences of disobeying Him.

When did Celtic language come to Britain?

Celtic language came to Britain around 600BC, with one version evolving into Brythonic which formed the basis of Welsh, Cornish and Breton. When the Anglo-Saxons colonised Britain, Brythonic speakers were split up into those in northern England speaking Cumbric, those in the south-west speaking an early version of Cornish, ...

Where did the Welsh language originate?

Potentially up to 4,000 years old, Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe. Welsh originates from the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Britons. Before the Roman invasion Celtic languages were spoken across Europe as far as Turkey. Celtic language came to Britain around 600BC, with one version evolving into Brythonic which formed ...

What did the radio broadcast in 1962 mean?

Political campaigns and direct action brought it back from the brink. These included a 1962 radio broadcast called Tynged Yr Iaith, meaning ‘The Fate of the Welsh Language’ , which prompted the setting up ...

How many people speak Cymraeg?

Cymraeg, or Welsh as its known in English, is, according to the last count, spoken by 23% of the population. Up until 1850, 90% of the population spoke Welsh, but it has since faced a great many challenges which at times almost led to its extinction.

When was Welsh spoken?

The Welsh spoken in the 12th to 14th centuries , or Middle Welsh, is what the earliest surviving manuscripts of the Mabinogion, its famous literary collection, are written in, and it is a Welsh which speakers today can more or less understand.

When did the Welsh language become illegal?

With English sovereignty over Wales made official with Henry VIII’s Act of Union in 1536 , use of Welsh was largely banned and laws were passed which removed the official status of the Welsh language. This meant people had to speak English to get work and progress. The suppression of the language extended to education too.

Is Welsh a bilingual language?

A Brief History of the Welsh Language. Wales is a proudly bilingual country. If you go to Wales you’ll notice the road signs are in English and Welsh, and you’re likely to hear Welsh out and about although Welsh speakers are still in the minority. However, looking back at the history of the language, it’s a wonder it survived at all.

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The Minimum Age of Language

  • Although the age of language is more difficult to pinpoint on the oldest end of the spectrum, we have a definite minimum age for language based on archaeological evidence. The oldest known system of writing, called cuneiformdates back to around 5300 BCE and was developed by the Sumerians. As the development of writing depends on an existing spoken ...
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The Maximum Age of Language

  • We cannot say with certainty what the maximum possible age of human language could be. What we do know is that human language is unlike any form of communication used by other animals. For this reason, we know it had to develop after our genetic lineage split from that of our nearest relatives, chimpanzees. Using fossil evidence and a complex algorithm to determine rates of ge…
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The Necessary Biology

  • While the production of spoken language today uses a complex system of logic and specially adapted body parts to produce a special system of sounds, it is possible that language could exist with less complex systems. Our human ancestors would only need two mutation to communicate through sound. The first mutation would allow them to control the type of calls they made and p…
See more on study.com

Overview

People-first language (PFL), also called person-first language, is a type of linguistic prescription which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what condition a person "has" rather than asserting what a person "is". It is intended to avoid marginalization or dehumanization (either consciously or subconsciously) when discussing people with a chronic illness or disability. It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette but person-first language can also be more generally applie…

History

Recommendations and explanations to use person-first language date back as early as around 1960. In her classic textbook, Beatrice Wright (1960)[3a] began her rationale for avoiding the dangers of terminological short cuts like "disabled person" by citing studies from the field of semantics that "show that language is not merely an instrument for voicing ideas but that it also plays a role in shaping ideas" (p. 7). She concludes her arguments thus: "Since physique does sti…

Definition

People-first language is a type of linguistic prescription. It aims to avoid perceived and subconscious dehumanization when discussing people with disabilities and is sometimes referred to (e.g. by NHS England's style guide) as a type of disability etiquette. People-first language can also be applied to any group that is defined by a condition rather than as a people: for example, "those that are homeless" rather than "the homeless."

Competing models

The most common alternative to person-first language is usually called identity-first language. For example, while someone who advocates for person-first language might refer to a client as a "person with autism", that same client may prefer identity-first language, and ask to be called an "autistic person". Others have proposed "person-centered language", which, instead of being a replacement linguistic rule, promotes prioritizing the preferences of those who are being referre…

Rationale

The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis is the basis for ideologically motivated linguistic prescriptivism. The hypothesis states that language use significantly shapes perceptions of the world and forms ideological preconceptions.
In people-first language, preconceptions judged to be negative arise from placing the name of the condition before the term "person" or "people", such as "white person" or "Jewish people". Propon…

Usage guidelines

Some U.S. organizations like the United Spinal Association have published disability etiquette guides, which prescribe people-first language. The 2007 For Dummies guide to etiquette prescribed people-first language.
As of 2017 , the rules of people-first language have become normative in US governmental institutions on the federal (e.g. CDC) and on state levels in the health departments' Development…

Criticism

Critics have objected that people-first language is awkward, repetitive and makes for tiresome writing and reading. C. Edwin Vaughan, a sociologist and longtime activist for the blind, argues that since "in common usage positive pronouns usually precede nouns", "the awkwardness of the preferred language focuses on the disability in a new and potentially negative way". According to Vaughan, it only serves to "focus on disability in an ungainly new way" and "calls attention to a pe…

See also

• Head-directionality parameter, regarding the placement of adjectives before or after nouns
• Political correctness
• Psychological distancing

Overview

The origin of language (spoken and signed, as well as language-related technological systems such as writing), its relationship with human evolution, and its consequences have been subjects of study for centuries. Scholars wishing to study the origins of language must draw inferences from evidence such as the fossil record, archaeological evidence, contemporary language diversity, studies of language acquisition, and comparisons between human language and syste…

History

The search for the origin of language has a long history in mythology. Most mythologies do not credit humans with the invention of language but speak of a divine language predating human language. Mystical languages used to communicate with animals or spirits, such as the language of the birds, are also common, and were of particular interest during the Renaissance.
Vāc is the Hindu goddess of speech, or "speech personified". As Brahman's "sacred utterance", sh…

Approaches

The origin of language can be sub-divided according to some underlying assumptions:
• "Continuity theories" build on the idea that language exhibits so much complexity that one cannot imagine it simply appearing from nothing in its final form; therefore it must have evolved from earlier pre-linguistic systems among humans' primate ancestors.
• "Discontinuity theories" take the opposite approach—that language, as a unique trait which cannot be compared to anything foun…

Language origin hypotheses

I cannot doubt that language owes its origin to the imitation and modification, aided by signs and gestures, of various natural sounds, the voices of other animals, and man's own instinctive cries.— Charles Darwin, 1871. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex
In 1861, historical linguist Max Müller published a list of speculative theories co…

Speech and language for communication

A distinction can be drawn between speech and language. Language is not necessarily spoken: it might alternatively be written or signed. Speech is among a number of different methods of encoding and transmitting linguistic information, albeit arguably the most natural one.
Some scholars view language as an initially cognitive development, its "externalisation" to serve communicative purposes occurring later in human evolution. According to one such school of th…

Cognitive development and language

Language users have high-level reference (or deixis), the ability to refer to things or states of being that are not in the immediate realm of the speaker. This ability is often related to theory of mind, or an awareness of the other as a being like the self with individual wants and intentions. According to Chomsky, Hauser and Fitch (2002), there are six main aspects of this high-level reference system:

Linguistic structures

Hockett (1966) details a list of features regarded as essential to describing human language. In the domain of the lexical-phonological principle, two features of this list are most important:
• Productivity: users can create and understand completely novel messages.
• Duality (of Patterning): a large number of meaningful elements are made up of a conveniently small number of independently meaningless yet message-differentiating elements.

Evolutionary timeline

Field primatologists can give useful insights into great ape communication in the wild. An important finding is that nonhuman primates, including the other great apes, produce calls that are graded, as opposed to categorically differentiated, with listeners striving to evaluate subtle gradations in signallers' emotional and bodily states. Nonhuman apes seemingly find it extremely difficult to produce vocalisations in the absence of the corresponding emotional states. In capti…

1.Where And When Did Language Begin? - Dictionary.com

Url:https://www.dictionary.com/e/origin/

25 hours ago  · Published April 16, 2011. The origin of spoken language has stumped linguistics dating as far back as the Twenty-sixth dynasty in Egypt and the first recorded language …

2.People-first language - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language

14 hours ago  · That would mean that speech—and, therefore, language—couldn’t have evolved until the arrival of anatomically modern Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago (or, per a …

3.Origin of language - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_language

29 hours ago Intuitively, one might speculate that hominids (human ancestors) started by grunting or hooting or crying out, and 'gradually' this 'somehow' developed into the sort of language we have today. …

4.When Did Ancient Humans Start to Speak? - The Atlantic

Url:https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/12/when-did-ancient-humans-start-speak/603484/

11 hours ago  · Students and new practitioners are often faced with the challenge of holding to their training or falling in line with the status quo. While the use of person-first language should …

5.FAQ: How Did Language Begin? | Linguistic Society of …

Url:https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/faq-how-did-language-begin

19 hours ago  · Use People First Language to tell what a person HAS, not what a person IS. Emphasize abilities not limitations. For example, say “a man walks with crutches,” not” he is …

6.Person-first language: are we practicing what we preach?

Url:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6371927/

17 hours ago  · Some scholars theorize that modern languages stem from one original language —the so-called mother tongue that they thought humans spoke nearly 100,000 years ago. * …

7.People First Language – The Ability Center for …

Url:https://theabilitycenter.org/2020/02/03/people-first-language/

4 hours ago

8.Did Our Languages Come From the “Tower of Babel”?

Url:https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20130901/did-languages-come-from-the-tower-of-babel/

33 hours ago

9.A Brief History of the Welsh Language - Culture Trip

Url:https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/wales/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-welsh-language/

19 hours ago

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