Call System Theories

Among the theories of language origin, many linguists seek the origins of language by trying to derive it from animal call systems.

This is a series of calls which most primates communicate. In most case these calls form a closed system: that is, each one has a separate meaning, and they cannot be combined to form new meaning, thus they may be a call indicating the presence of food, but there is no way of combining parts or all of the two calls to indicate the presence of food in a dangerous situation.

But suppose, whether by accident or on purpose, these two calls were mixed or blended so that they took on double meaning.

This change to an open call system could be the beginning of a more complex form of verbal communication. From there, we can see how a call could be developed for the meaning “food without danger” as opposed to the earlier call “food” or the derived call “food with danger.”

Logically then, if there is a call that means “danger” another call might mean “no danger”, thus adding to the system the concept of absence or negation. As the system grew larger, a set of rules would require organizing the sounds so that meanings could be agreed upon.

This would lead to the development of grammar. Although this theory is only speculation and, like all theories of language origin, cannot be proved, it does open new areas of study on human evolution.
Call System Theories