Proto-world language

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As Proto-Human language - even proto-World , Proto-Sapiens , world-primitive language - refers to a hypothetical parent language of all languages of humanity, say a language from which all currently known families , isolated and extinct descended languages. Their existence is assumed in the theory of monoglottogenesis of all existing languages. The existence of such a primordial language can be justified historically , biologically or psychologically , but there are also statements in esotericism , religion and mythology about a common primeval language of all humanity (e.g. the story of the Tower of Babel or the concept of the Adamitic Language ). The out-of-Africa theory also indirectly supports the thesis of an original language through genetic studies, according to which the homo-sapiens emerged from a very small group of people.

However, most linguists hardly believe that reliable linguistic statements are possible due to the enormous time span - at least 50,000 years. It is therefore largely undisputed in the professional world that statements about the properties of a proto-world language cannot be considered scientifically relevant linguistics, since they are usually not verifiable. Furthermore, the hypothesis of the monogenesis of all languages ​​cannot be proven as such. Nevertheless, in addition to pseudoscientific approaches (e.g. Richard Fester ), there are also scientifically accepted attempts by the American linguists Merritt Ruhlen and John D. Bengtson to set up global word equations (etymologies).

Regardless of the question of a general monogenesis of language, situations are conceivable in which a completely new language emerges independently of existing languages. The sign language of Nicaragua may be an example of how an inarticulate language has emerged naturally among deaf children hearing parents.

Kaspar Hauser attempts : According to a story of Herodotus (Book II, Chapter 2), the Pharaoh Psammetich I made an attempt in Egypt to find the original language of the world. He gave two newborn children to a shepherd and ordered them to be raised so that they should never hear a spoken word. He wanted to find out in which language the children would say a word first. After about two years the children put out their hands pleadingly and said "bekos". In the Phrygian language this was called “bread”. The Pharaoh concluded from this that the Phrygians were an even older people than the Egyptians. Salimbene von Parma , a Franciscan , told a similar story about Frederick II , the Staufer Emperor . Here, however, the infants died prematurely from a lack of care before they even spoke a word.

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