Before looking at to origin and development of the English Language over the past fifteen hundred years or more, we have to have insight about the elementary fact concerning language in general.
1. Spoken, not Written :-
The first thing is that language is basicaly Spoken, not Written. By the writing from the thoughts and speech, we are now be able to acquainted about the ways of life and the modes of thought of our ancestors. Without this we would be far away from the greatness of our past, and it would be quite impossible for us to study it in a present time. We can only get the knowledge about the language and its structur by studying contemporary written documents, like Julius Caesar or King Alfred the great, which is survived. It will be quite advantageous for future generation to investigate the language of our age because of the invention of Gramophone and Tap-recorder.
Nowadays, though the language is in primitive sense, something that is Oral; but, because of the fountain to relying on written documentary for linguistic research, reading and writing covered so large place in our daily lives. So it had an influence on the development of language.
2. Evolutionary, not Static:-
In any thing, evolution is part of everyone's life. If we draw our attention towards the writing of Chaucer and compare it with modern English, it will obviously differs from each other. If we look even further back to early Anglo-Saxon, we may find more difference. Though the evolutionary factor is a wheels and generally recognised, it is assume that the language now become more or less fixed and set. There will be same as today to two centuries and more. The changes are still going on in pronunciation, in grammar, and in the actual significant attached to words, anyone who has reached middle age can prove this from his own experience. A few reforms in grammar and spellings are creeping in, because of natural causes, American influence and partly through the attempt of BBC. If we look at back in the history of language, we can see rapid process of change in the speech. Saw that development in the history of language took place when the documentary evidence might be studied.
3. Language - differs man from animal:-
The language is the only factor which differs man from animal. Every rest of human being speaks some kind of language. The lower animals merely make typical noises to indicates such as fear, anger, sex, Joy, etc. Yet Pro. Lloyd James as yours that many animals have the necessary speech organs. If they develop it as man did, they would probably have developed in similar direction.
Today main are speaking the particular language that passed from the utterance of mere instinctive noise. It's all because of the development of human mind and personality. The definite origin of the language is still a matter of dispute, many learn need person have written on the subject without sufficient measure of agreement. At present 4 chief theories hold the field.
1. The Bow-wow theory:-
This theory holds the attempt of main to imitate some characteristic sound of the creature or object. The young child adopt the same method reproducing behaviour of adult. This theory points out the same. Dog is the animal that says Bow-wow, man distinguish a dog from other animal in its bark. So it is called Bow-wow theory. Some theorists believe this as the beginning of language. In a word snake, we can hear the hissing sound, in wind there is an imitation of whistling of the gust. In many words of recent college which denote sound, anomatopoeic element has played a conspicuous part.
2. Ding-dong theory:-
This theory is associated with German scholar and physiologist Maxmuller.
According to this theory, beginnings of language are found in rhythm, from a very primitive stage of its existence. The theory also based on imitation rather than of sound.
Observing a certain rhythm in Berlin of the stream of trees in the wind, man ding-donged.
The theory connect with the same impulse which give rise to the savage war dance, the medieval ballads and the sea chanties.
3. The Pooh-pooh theory:-
The theory which trace is all forms of speech utterance back to emotional interjections evoked by pain, surprise, pleasure, wonder, etc. This has become known as Pooh-pooh theory. At first Pooh-pooh is just an exclamation, implication or disgust. Through being frequently used with this implication it acquires a meaning, from this root formed the verb to Pooh-pooh, which take definite place in the spoken, if not in the literary language. This principle, one school of theorists would contend, underlies the origin of all languages.
4. Gesture theory:-
This theory is advanced by Wilhelm Wundt and later represented by Sir Richard Paget in his book, "Human speech", called as gesture theory.
