Linguistic Development and its Impact on Society

There is no denying the fact that language has had a significant impact on human culture and society. The origin of language, its role in the evolution of humans, and the result of this influence are some areas that have been the subjects of numerous studies and research projects. These studies have involved the careful analysis of ancient manuscripts and archaeological records. In some cases, even fossils were examined to aid proof building.  The survey of current linguistic diversity observes the various methods by which foreign languages are acquired and compares human communication with the multiple modes of communication found in the natural world.

Theories on Linguistic Development

• Early theories: Max Muller published some theories regarding the origin of language. They are as follows:
  1. Pooh-pooh: This theory posits that early words were formed due to spontaneous exclamations of pain or pleasure.
  2. Yo-he-ho: This theory claims that words originated as sounds elicited due to physical effort.
  3. Ta-ta: This theory was given by Sir Richard Paget. He proposed that the earliest sounds in language were formed because humans attempted to mimic physical actions with their tongues. The sounds that came out as a result of this were the earliest words.
  4. Ding-dong: This was another one of Muller’s theories. In this, he suggested that everything had a natural resonance and the earliest humans tried to echo this in the sounds of words.
  5. Bow-wow: Also known as the cuckoo theory, it said that the earliest words were actually just imitations of the sounds that birds and beasts made.

• Humanistic theory: This theory describes language as an almost inevitable result of the social nature of human beings. It says that human language is an invention. Since human beings are rational and social, language was created to communicate complex ideas effectively. A philosopher from the Renaissance period, Antoine Arnault, developed this theory. 

• Noam Chomsky’s single step theory: Chomsky proposed the idea that language developed in a process similar to the formation of a crystal. The development of a seed crystal in the supersaturated mind of a primate was the result of a single step in evolution, and from then on, layers of development were added till it attained a modern form.

1. The Romulus and Remus hypothesis: Andrey Vyshedskiy, a neuroscientist, gave this theory. According to him, language developed in two stages:
   
   1. The first development of language took place over thousands of years, and it involved changes in physiology and genes. This was the stage where language was fundamental and non-recursive.
   2. The second stage was similar to the Chomskian proposal of a single step development.

Impact of Linguistic Diversity on the Development of India

Grierson, the prominent linguist, notes in his “Linguistic Survey of India” that 179 languages and 544 dialects are found in the region. By any standards, this is a vast amount of linguistic diversity. India is a land of great ethnic diversity. Consequently, the impact of linguistic diversity on the development in India too has been great. The various regions with populations belonging to distinct ethnicities all have their forms of literature, oral traditions, and rich folklore. This has resulted in a veritable museum of languages. The resultant diversity has helped give the country a rich, vastly varied, and fascinating cultural heritage. Language is a bearer of several markers and characteristics of the culture it belongs to. Experiences unique to the people of a particular ethnicity are encapsulated within the idioms and phrases of the language they speak. With its myriad languages and dialects, India can contain a large portion of the human experience intact. The impact of linguistic diversity on development in India has had both its merits and drawbacks. One major drawback has been the difficulty of including various languages and dialects for social education.

Conclusion

A modern inquiry into linguistic development did not begin till the 18th century. And even then, the finds of a few like Johann Gottfried Herder and Johann Christoph Adelung remain in vogue till well into the 19th century. However, try as they might. Early linguists could not formulate a methodical approach to the inquiry of linguistic development. In fact, in 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris went so far as to ban any further research into the matter deeming it a problem without a solution. But with the emergence of new methods in archaeology aided by modern technology, this question was reopened. Research showed that the linguistic development of the human language was a complex process that took place over millennia. And while it was taking place, human culture was moving forward, too, both influenced and influenced by language.