6 Types of Word-Formation in English The English language has developed over centuries, and many of the words we use today have come about from one of two overarching sources: evolving words from English or English-adjacent languages themselves, or deriving from loan words from other languages.
Contents
- 1 How did words get created?
- 2 Who invented the first words?
- 3 Who created the word word?
- 4 What are the 23 oldest words?
- 5 What was the first human word?
- 6 When was bad words invented?
- 7 Who invented the first swear word?
- 8 Who made English?
- 9 What does the word F * * * * * mean?
- 10 Who made the word bruh?
- 11 Does B mean BAE?
- 12 What is the 1st word in the dictionary?
- 13 What was the first word in English?
- 14 What’s the oldest English word?
- 15 What is the newest word in the world?
- 16 What was the first language?
- 17 What’s the f-word?
- 18 What does God say about cursing?
- 19 Is Frick a swear word?
- 20 What country curses the most?
How did words get created?
Words may be formed by the deliberate imitation of sounds they describe (onomatopoeia). Often this kind of onomatopoeic formation is surprisingly ancient, and Old English literature is usually described as highly onomatopoeic, alliterative and percussive.
Who invented the first words?
The word is of Hebrew origin(it is found in the 30th chapter of Exodus). Also according to Wiki answers,the first word ever uttered was “Aa,” which meant “Hey!” This was said by an australopithecine in Ethiopia more than a million years ago.
Who created the word word?
The first version of Microsoft Word was developed by Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie, former Xerox programmers hired by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1981. Both programmers worked on Xerox Bravo, the first WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) word processor.
What are the 23 oldest words?
Science Says These are the Oldest 23 Words in the English…
- Thou. The singular form of “you,” this is the only word that all seven language families share in some form.
- I. Similarly, you’d need to talk about yourself.
- Mother.
- Give.
- Bark.
- Black.
- Fire.
- Ashes.
What was the first human word?
Mother, bark and spit are some of the oldest known words, say researchers. Continue reading → Mother, bark and spit are just three of 23 words that researchers believe date back 15,000 years, making them the oldest known words.
When was bad words invented?
We don’t know how the earliest speakers of English swore, because it wasn’t written down. Before the 15th century – which is when swearing first appeared in writing – most writing was done by monks, and they were too good, and their work too important, for them to write down swear words.
Who invented the first swear word?
The year 1310 would be a couple of centuries before a monk reportedly scrawled the word on a manuscript by Cicero, which has commonly been considered the first appearance of the F-word in English writings.
Who made English?
Having emerged from the dialects and vocabulary of Germanic peoples—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—who settled in Britain in the 5th century CE, English today is a constantly changing language that has been influenced by a plethora of different cultures and languages, such as Latin, French, Dutch, and Afrikaans.
What does the word F * * * * * mean?
It’s main meaning is “have sex,” but it has hundreds of other uses. This slang term for sexual intercourse is not a word to be used lightly — it’s an obscenity that, if used on some television networks, could cost the person who “dropped the f-bomb” thousands of dollars.
Who made the word bruh?
Raleigh’s Joseph Headen helped start the popular Vine meme “bruh.” If you have access to Vine, the app for creating and sharing short video clips, then you probably know what bruh means.
Does B mean BAE?
B is a letter, yes, but it’s also a shortening of several words: brother, babe, bae, boo … you get the point.One that is one letter … voila, here’s B. In fact, this abbreviation has been in use since at least 2005, according to Urban Dictionary entries.
What is the 1st word in the dictionary?
Ask anyone which word comes first in an English dictionary, and they will assuredly answer “aardvark“.
What was the first word in English?
There was no first word. At various times in the 5th century, the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and other northern Europeans show up in what is now England. They’re speaking various North Sea Germanic dialects that might or might not have been mutually understandable.
What’s the oldest English word?
According to a 2009 study by researchers at Reading University, the oldest words in the English language include “I“, “we“, “who“, “two” and “three“, all of which date back tens of thousands of years.
What is the newest word in the world?
Read our notes on the latest revision here, or find out more about the new words that have been added in this update. See the words that have been added in this update. We haven’t just been monitoring the language over the last few months.
What was the first language?
Sumerian language, language isolate and the oldest written language in existence. First attested about 3100 bce in southern Mesopotamia, it flourished during the 3rd millennium bce.
What’s the f-word?
Definition of the f-word
—used as a way to refer to the offensive word “fuck” without saying it or writing it He got in trouble for using the f-word on television.
What does God say about cursing?
29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit.32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Is Frick a swear word?
So no, it is not “a swear.” It is a similar-sounding word substituted for a vulgar term, when using the actual vulgar term would be inappropriate. Originally Answered: Is frick a bad word? Frick as a boys’ name of Old English origin, and the meaning of Frick is “brave man”.
What country curses the most?
Who has the foulest mouth of all? Study reveals which countries swear the most in consumer reviews (Sorry, America)
- Warning — this product contains foul language.
- A new survey shows that shoppers from New Zealand, Romania and Switzerland have the foulest mouths when it comes to rating products online.
There are a lot of words out there. According to the Oxford English dictionary, as of 1989, the English language alone contained over 171,000 words. And those ranks are constantly growing, as humans develop new words to describe both new and old phenomena, making it impossible to ever label the ‘newest’ word in the world. But what about the oldest? When were words invented?
What Counts as Language?
Before we even get into what the oldest word in the world is, we have to figure out how we want to define a word. Technically, a word is “a single, distinct, meaningful element of speech or writing.” But that still leaves some wiggle room. After all, elephants and dolphins can scream and exclaim. In fact, many animals have a small repertoire of sounds they make which they use to communicate amongst themselves, especially about potential threats.
But we tend to think there’s a difference between animal communication systems. Animal ‘languages’ can’t be used to discuss abstract topics, like future or past events: they can only reference what is in the here and now. In contrast, human language allows us to discuss not only the possibility of rain tomorrow but also the beginning of the universe and metaphysical issues. Clearly, humans and animals have different linguistic systems. The problem is that we’re not exactly sure where the distinction between these two types of systems lies.
The question is complicated by the fact we can’t use written records for evidence. Writing wasn’t invented until around 3400 B.C.E., when early pictorial signs were gradually replaced by a complex writing system on clay tablets. But language existed for thousands of years before these tablets were created.
When Were Words Invented?
Most researchers estimate that words have been around for at least as long as modern humans. According to the Linguistic Society of America, this means language developed between 50,000 and 150,000 years ago, in response to evolutionary changes to humans’ vocal cords and brains. These developments allowed humans the new ability to create the range of sounds we use in speech today. Quickly, language branched out, changing in different regions and amongst different peoples, and developing into complex, differentiated dialects.
It’s important to note that these first modern words were not the first-ever words. We know pre-modern humans used sounds to communicate, even if they didn’t exist in the same linguistic form we might expect today. But we probably will never know what precisely those sounds were.
What Were the First Words?
It is impossible to say for sure what the first words were. However, linguists can use statistical models to identify words that are similar across many languages. These words, linguists have theorized, are likely core words which evolved in an initial ‘proto-language,’ and are now present in many different languages. In one study, researchers came up with a list of words that they estimate are at least 15,000 years old.
That list includes:
- Thou
- I
- Not
- That
- We
- This
- What
- man/male
- Ye
- Old
- Mother
- To hear
- Hand
- Fire
- To pull
- Black
- To flow
- Bark
- Ashes
- To spit
- Worm
Predictably, these words are very basic words: either core elements of speech, like ‘I’ and ‘this’, which are used very frequently in every language; or nouns and verbs that describe actions and objects which would be very common in the life of ancient humans, like ‘ashes’ or ‘black’.
Why Were Words Invented?
It was far from an inevitability that humans would develop language. In fact, of all the millions of species of animals on earth, we’re the only ones who ever developed the ability to speak. This has led many scientists to wonder: why did language evolve? There are several theories, including:
- The cuckoo theory.
The cuckoo theory states that early words were likely meant to mimic animals. These words could have been used in multiple different situations, such as telling your wife about the mammoth you saw while hunting. Later, humans branched out into creating words to describe more abstract or silent objects.
- The mother tongues hypothesis
This theory says that language was actually initially a way for parents to teach complex lessons to kids. Over time, these languages could have come to be shared amongst families or tribes.
- The ta-ta theory.
This theory states the first words were created when humans made shapes or gestures with their tongues, mimicking things they saw in their environment.
- Chomsky’s hypothesis.
Noam Chomsky, a famous American philosopher and linguist, believes that there is an innate mechanism in the brain that allows us to understand language. He believes this sets humans apart from other animals and allowed people to come up with language virtually overnight.
What Can We Expect for the Future of Language?
If language once evolved from a single, central proto-language, we may be headed back there soon. The number of languages actively spoken is shrinking. A few core languages — including Chinese, Hindu-Urdu, Arabic, Spanish, and English — are becoming more popular as smaller languages are falling off.
English, which has the most second-language speakers of any language in the world, is also expected to continue to grow its reach. There are almost a billion English-as-a-second-language speakers in the world, compared to only 274 million for second-place Standard Arabic. This is in part because English is generally considered to be the current world diplomatic language. People who don’t share each other’s languages will chat in English. Collectively, these second-language speakers have helped make English the most spoken language in the world. In a few hundred years, who knows – everyone might speak English.
-
- Keywords:
- language,
- origin,
- word
Asked by brooklynne to Andrew, Ash, Gem, Paige, SJ on 22 Jun 2012.-
SarahJayne Boulton
answered on 22 Jun 2012:
I reckon it was probably just a sound, like ‘mmm’ or ‘ug’.
More than likely it was one that could mean anything depending on how you said it, your expressions or your gestures, like how the word ‘really’ can take on so many different meanings just by saying it differently.
What do you think it might have been?
-
Paige Brown
answered on 22 Jun 2012:
Languages are not invented, they rather evolve to become what they are today, just like we evolved from our ancient ancestors. Words evolve from our attempt to explain the objects and situations all around us, and the words we use often become our reality, shaping our view of the world. This is called ‘linguistic relativity’.
According to Wiki answers, the first word that “evolved” into an English word is “cinnamon.” (English is a newer language compared with Greek, for example). This was a spice used several thousand years ago. The word is of Hebrew origin (it is found in the 30th chapter of Exodus).
Also according to Wiki answers, the first word ever uttered was “Aa,” which meant “Hey!” This was said by an australopithecine in Ethiopia more than a million years ago.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_first_word_ever_invented#ixzz1yXiQXCUd
Not sure if this is all true, but it certainly sounds good!
-
Gemma Staite
answered on 23 Jun 2012:
My answer to this would have been a total guess. English language never was my strong point.
As Paige says, language evolves, and they never really stop evolving. I must say though, cinnamon never would have been my guess.
I would have guessed that it was “a”, at least in modern english.
- Keywords:
Comments
Table of Contents
- Who created words?
- Who made the first word?
- What is the longest English word?
- What was before word?
- Who owns Microsoft Word?
- What was the 1st English word?
- Is Spanish older than English?
- What was the first version of Microsoft Word?
- How are words invented in the English language?
- What was the year you were added to the Dictionary?
- What was the first word coined in the 1960’s?
1983
Microsoft Word, word-processor software launched in 1983 by the Microsoft Corporation. Software developers Richard Brodie and Charles Simonyi joined the Microsoft team in 1981, and in 1983 they released Multi-Tool Word for computers that ran a version of the UNIX operating system (OS).
Who created words?
1. Immediacy. William Shakespeare is famous for having invented many words, or borrowing old roots from other languages and transforming them into new terms.
Who made the first word?
The word is of Hebrew origin(it is found in the 30th chapter of Exodus). Also according to Wiki answers,the first word ever uttered was “Aa,” which meant “Hey!” This was said by an australopithecine in Ethiopia more than a million years ago.
What is the longest English word?
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
The longest word in any of the major English language dictionaries is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a word that refers to a lung disease contracted from the inhalation of very fine silica particles, specifically from a volcano; medically, it is the same as silicosis.
What was before word?
Before the popularity of Microsoft Word, everyone used WordPerfect, a word processor created by Satellite Systems International (and bought by Corel in 1996). The program was more advanced than WordStar, quickly taken its market share.
Who owns Microsoft Word?
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Word
| Original author(s) | Microsoft Corporation |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Microsoft Corporation |
| Stable release | 16.0.14026 |
What was the 1st English word?
According to a 2009 study by researchers at Reading University, the oldest words in the English language include “I“, “we“, “who“, “two” and “three“, all of which date back tens of thousands of years.
Is Spanish older than English?
So we’ve established that English has been written for a long time, and while it gets more and more difficult to understand, the further back we go, as a written language it’s probably older than Spanish. Spanish, on the other hand, hasn’t been written as long as English.
What was the first version of Microsoft Word?
The first ever version of Microsoft Word – Word 1.0 – was launched in October 1983 and developed by former Xerox programmers, Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie. The two were hired by Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, in 1981.
How are words invented in the English language?
“Robot” was actually used to describe serf labor. For centuries, the English language has been evolving and adapting to meet the needs of the society that uses the language. If you want to know how we started using “workaholic” and “International”, read on, my friend.
What was the year you were added to the Dictionary?
Take a trip down memory lane with us —or simply look up the words that were entered the year you were born, married, graduated high school/college, etc. —with the new Merriam-Webster Time Traveler tool. Here are two to three of our favorite words, listed by the year they were entered into the dictionary:
What was the first word coined in the 1960’s?
The first use of hippie in a 1960’s counter cultural/flower child sense was in a series of articles on Haight-Ashbury that began running in the San Francisco Examiner in September 1965. The word “grunge”—referring to the type of music—also came to be this year. Big hairstyles got their name in 1966.
The word is of Hebrew origin(it is found in the 30th chapter of Exodus).Also according to Wiki answers,the first word ever uttered was “Aa,” which meant “Hey!” This was said by an australopithecine in Ethiopia more than a million years ago.
There are 23 words that researchers believe date back 15000 years, making them the oldest known words.
Here they are:
thou, I, not, that, we, to give, who, this, what, man-male, ye, old, mother, to hear, hand, fire, to pull, black, to flow, bark, ashes, to spit, worm
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Published May 13, 2016 at 2:52 PM EDT
Warchi
/
istock
On But Why we let you ask the questions and we help find the answers. One of the things that many of you are curious about is language. How we speak, why we speak and what we speak.
There are 7,097 living languages, according to people who study languages. These people are usually called linguists.
But that number is shrinking all the time because many languages have just a handful of speakers. So some linguists say there are really more like 6,000 spoken languages still around right now. But the bottom line is that language is part of what makes us human. So in this episode we focus on verbal communication.
«My question is: who invented words?» -Winlon, 6, Atlanta, GA
We turned Winlon’s question over to a guy named John McWhorter. He is a linguist who writes books and gives talks and teaches at Columbia University in New York City.
Credit Eileen Barroso / Columbia
/
Columbia
«I think that most people who study language would say in terms of who invented the first words, it would have been the first people. And the first people who were exactly like us were in Africa, probably about 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. They would have been the ones who first came up with words for things and then they would have passed those on to their children, and that would have kept going to you and me.
«But what you’re really asking is how did they come up with the words. That’s a tough question because there are 6,000 languages in the world and they all have different words for things, and we can’t go back in time so we will probably never know what those first words were. Some people have said that it must have had to do with imitating the sounds that things make. That may work with some things, but most things don’t make sounds. It’s hard to say what would have lead people to come up with some kind of word like ‘sun’ or ‘tree,’ or something like ‘already’ or ‘maybe.’ It’s a mystery. We’ll never know why they came up with those words, but we know once they did, there seemed to have never been any more people who didn’t have any words.
Credit Photo courtesy Winlon’s mom.
/
«Language changes all the time. Like the clouds in the sky are always moving, the sounds are always changing a little bit. The word ‘tree’ used to be pronounced more like ‘tray,’ but you might be hearing something more like ‘tree,’ so you’re going to grow up saying something in between. Then the person who listens to you talking and learns how to talk may say it more like ‘tree.’ Pretty soon, the word is ‘tree.’ The word changes bit by bit. If you imagine that happening to every word in every language all the time, you know why one language could never stay the way it was. It’s always inching along and changing to a new language.
«If you have a bunch of people and one bunch goes in one direction and one bunch goes in another, then not only are everyone’s languages changing, but languages change in all sorts of ways. Take all of those changes happening to every word all the time and it means that you’re going to get two different languages, one on one side of the mountain and one on the other side.»
«Why is the alphabet in the order that it is?» -Nephele, 8, Burlington, VT
Credit Photo courtesy Nephele’s mom.
/
«The answer to this question is one that is just no fun. There is no reason. The order of the alphabet has never made any sense. All we know is that the people who invented the first alphabet put the letters in a certain order. When they passed those letters on to other people, and those people passed the letters on to us, we kept the letters in that order. «The best I can do is to say that x y and z are hanging down at the end because with the first alphabets you didn’t need an x or a y or a z. Those letters weren’t needed in the languages those people spoke, but as the alphabet got passed down to people speaking other kinds of languages, people wanted new letters: x, y and z were those letters.
«Even now x and z feel kind of strange. They are only in so many words, they are kind of the peculiar letters. They were invented later and it seemed natural to tack them on to the end.» —John McWhorter, Columbia University
7097 languages means 7097 ways to say hello! Listen to the full podcast to hear some of them.
Read the full transcript
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Melody is the Contributing Editor for But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids and the co-author of two But Why books with Jane Lindholm.
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
Allow me to point out that you actually asked two questions: (1) How was the first word invented? (2) How do you explain a word without using words? Presumably, (2) has meanwhile been answered extensively by other commenters, so I’ll concentrate on question (1): How was the first word invented?
Although none of us was there, when the first word was invented, there is a general agreement that the most natural motivation for a word is onomatopoeia. That is, the imitation of sounds in our environment.
Think of a child pointing to a cow and saying „moo“, then pointing to a dog and saying „woof“. Now imagine a stone-age hunter trying to convey, that he bludgeoned his prey to death rather than slitting it’s throat. What kind of sound would he use to express this? Probably she would sound more like bludge that slit, right?
Recent research shows that there might be another natural motivation for words: the way our body expresses emotions. For example: imagine what your face looks like while you pronounce the NGR part of the word angry. Looks rather angry, right? Now try the same for awe.
Don’t get me wrong: I agree with the other commenters, that most words in the dictionary are completely arbitrary to us. But they are also the result of myriads of decisions that a some point to somebody made perfect sense. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the first words were created by onomatopoeia and — possibly — the verbalisation of body language.
It’s hard to imagine the world without words. Words are not just the primary way of communication but also sources of entertainment, i.e., books, movies, and songs. There are millions of words and over 6,500 languages spoken worldwide. In fact, language is one of the essential components of our culture. Without language, it’ll be more challenging for humans to communicate, build relationships, and interact with each other.
With the rich languages and growing vocabulary of modern times, have you ever paused and wondered where it all began? Like everything in this world, language has a beginning. Let’s explore the twist and turns of the exciting root of all languages, the very first word that ever existed.
Some historians believe that humans started talking thousands of years ago. However, there is no recorded evidence of this claim. The earliest evidence of a written word is from the 3400 or 3500 BCE during the time of the Sumerians.
The first word’s key contributors (and evolution)
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Homo sapiens
Symbolic Thinking
Homo sapiens from 40,000 years ago showed evidence of symbolic thinking. They enjoyed art and music. They even used simple tools. These pieces of evidence prove that Homo sapiens used words to communicate.
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Sumerians
Sumerian Cuneiform
Honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint the actual inventors of words. But, the earliest known written language was credited to the Sumerians. Archaeologists found clays and tablets with symbols believed to be the first words: god, humans, and earth.
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PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science)
Words from 15,000 Years Ago
PNAS made a paper to analyze the languages from Asia and Europe. They aimed to compare the languages and select 200 words with similar meanings and sounds. Then, they determined the roots of the chosen words and trimmed the list down to the words they believed were timeless. They came up with 23 words: thou, worm, not, fire, mother, man, and fire are some examples.
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Bible Scholars
John 1:1
Bible scholars also have their take on the first word debate. They argue that the answer is already written in the bible. Specifically, in the book of John 1:1.“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God.”
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Roman Jakobson
We All Want Mama
Roman Jakobson, a linguist, studied the origin of the human language and concluded that the first word a human ever spoke was “mama.” He argues that the term “mama” is the nasal sound from babies while they breastfeed. It has evolved through time and was associated with mothers/caregivers.
When was the first word invented?
There are no solid proofs of the first word ever spoken. However, the first recorded written word in history dates back to the Sumerians in 3400 – 3500 BCE.
A brief history of the first word
It’s extremely difficult to trace the origin of the first language. It is more difficult to know what was the very first word to be spoken. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution explained that humans and language evolved almost at the same time. It is difficult because nobody knows if the growth was linear (coming from one place) or scattered (starting in different areas at the same time).
However, linguists, historians, archaeologists, and scholars did their best to develop a timeline to explain the history of the first word.
Language is believed to have started 40,000 years ago during the time of the Homo sapiens. There are unearthed pieces of evidence showing the Homo sapiens’ ability to think symbolically like simple tools, musical instruments, and arts. Symbolic thinking is the ability that sets Homo sapiens apart from other groups. Because of these discoveries, scholars believe that Homo sapiens could communicate with each other through words.
It’s a shame that recording devices were not present in ancient times, so we have no idea what the first spoken word was. However, we do have proof of the first word ever written. It points back to the Sumerian form of writing, Sumerian Cuneiform. Archaeologists unearthed clay tablets with the symbols of God, humans, and earth. Experts recognized these as the first words.
Various universities and institutions were interested in the origin of the first word/s. A group of linguists in partnership with PNAS conducted an interesting study about the languages of Asian and European countries. They cross-examined their languages and selected 200 similar words among them. They came up with 23 words that they believed were relevant and useful 15,000 years ago. Some words from the list are man, mother, fire, not, and worm (this is surprising!).
Roman Jakobson’s paper also claimed that mama (mother) was the first word ever spoken. Following his logic, he argued that aside from being relevant to everyone, primates are inclined to call on their mothers from birth. In addition, the term “mama” is similar to the nasal sound babies produce while breastfeeding. He also cross-examined several languages to support his claim.
Another interesting take on the issue of the first word is from the catholic church. Bible scholars claim that the answer is already presented in the Bible. Their argument is rooted in John 1:1, which reads, “In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” They believe that the first word ever spoken is the word “God” since God is the creator of everything and everyone.
A tremendous number of theories, papers, and research try to explain and guess what the first word was. They all make valid points and have proofs to support their claims. However, nobody can prove what is accurate and what is not. Up to this day, scholars and linguists are still looking for clues that can give them a more precise answer to the origin of the first word.
The first word timeline
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40,000 years ago
As Old as Humans
Language is believed to be as old as the human species. Homo sapiens displayed symbolic thinking, which is a key requirement for language development.
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3400 to 3500 BCE
The First Written Word/s
Sumerians are credited for writing the first three words: humans, earth, and God. They wrote it using symbols on clay tablets. These three words represent what was important for Sumerians back then. They value the world where they live, their rulers, families, and most importantly, a supreme being or God.
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13000 BC
The Oldest Letter
The Sumerians used symbols or drawings in their writing system. The civilizations that followed them used lines and letters. The oldest known letter in the English alphabet is “O.” The letter O came from the Phoenician alphabet in 13000 BC.
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Modern Times
Humans from the Ice Age
Researchers were keen to know how people from thousands of years ago communicated with one another. A particular study came up with a set of words/sounds they believed were used by humans from the Ice Age.
Where was the first word invented?
The first word ever written originated in Sumerians in 3400 – 3500 BCE. They lived in Mesopotamia which is now known as the southern part of Iraq.
The importance of the first word
- It’s a sign of civilization
A civilized group of people can communicate their needs and wants to each other. The first word is one of the humans’ earliest signs of civilization that sets them apart from animals.
- Explains what was important
Many linguists and historians have different theories of the first word. Some say it’s the word “God,” while others believe it is the word “mama.” Whichever is true; it reflects the things that ancient people prioritized.
- It’s a form of art
Words are beautiful. They convey different meanings and allow people to express their feelings. If woven together, words can also create art in the form of books, music, movies, and poetry.
- Key for survival
When we communicate with each other, we build more harmonious relationships. We also learn new things, improve our skills, and adapt to new environments. This is probably the reason why Homo sapiens thrived.
The first word by the numbers
- 5There are 5 theories on the origins of language namely, The Bow-Wow theory of mimicry, the Ding-Dong theory of sound symbolism, the La-la theory of association, the Pooh-Pooh theory of interjections, and the Yo-He-Ho theory of rhythmic sounds.
- 23While it is almost impossible to identify the first word ever spoken, a group of linguist came up with 23 words they believe are the oldest in the English language – thou, I, give, mother, black, bark, ashes, spit, fire, man, flow, hand, hear, that, this, old, ye, pull, not, we, whom, what, and worm.
- 7,100From a single word, language evolved to more than 7,100 beautiful and diverse languages.
- 12Amongst the 7,100 languages around the world, there are 12 famous or most spoken languages. The list was based on the number of active native speakers – English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, and Indonesian.
Five facts about the first word
- Busuu
Language is a complex set of words that has meaning and structure. It can be spoken by millions or spoken by few, but it’ll still be considered a language as long as it has meaning. 8 people talk Busuu, and it is still considered a language.
- French Origin
English is the most spoken language in the world. However, it might surprise you to find out that almost 50 percent of modern English words come from the French language.
- Words for Danger
Many linguists believe that the first word must be used to warn other humans about danger. Caring for other people’s well-being is one of the first signs of civilization.
- No first word
Some linguists claim that it is silly to guess or hypothesize what the first word was. Because for them, there was no first word. In the 5th century, different groups of people gathered around England. Each group is speaking different languages during that time. Since they had to communicate, the language we know of now was gradually formed.
- Dead Language
Languages like greek and Latin are considered dead languages. Dead languages are no longer changing and evolving since nobody is using them anymore. This is why scientists used Latin to give species their scientific names.
FAQs about the first word
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How did words start?
Words started as signs partnered with natural sounds. The hand gestures we use nowadays are biological residues of the first sign language.
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What language did Adam and Eve speak?
According to bible scholars, Adam and Eve spoke the Adamic language during their time in the Garden of Eden.
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What is the first ever swear word?
Fart. As it turns out, fart is an 800-year-old swear word.
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When did humans start talking?
Roughly around the same time of Homo sapiens’ evolution which is 150,000 years ago.
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Do cavemen really grunts a lot?
The grunting is not an accurate description of how cavemen communicated. They actually used proto-language, which is made of simple words and syntax.