When did language start?
Before we discuss written language, we have to mention that no one knows how or when this mumbling we speak every day started, and it’s not as easy as defining the sounds that we make as language since, as we will discuss later on, language is far more than that. For example, a handprint on a wall is a form of language. All kinds of jewelry, sculptures, and songs are forms of language as well, and more importantly, gestures, facial expressions, and ‘attitudes’ are all forms of communication.
If you observe young children, they make sounds from the moment they are born. Even deaf and blind children make all sorts of noises and signs and it is thought that all of these ‘expressions’ of our bodies, from lungs and mouths to faces and limbs, develop into a way of communication over time via interpretation. You can see such rudimentary forms of ‘communication’ in all animals. We will get more into that later on, but for now, let’s try to understand what’s up with these ‘ugly’ signs you see now.