The Verbal And Gestural Theory In The Origin Of Language

Language is the most important aspect in the life of all beings. Language is a link between meaning and expression that consist of signs and symbols which can be understood within a context. Therefore, human use language to express their inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of complex and abstract thought, to learn and communicate with others, to fulfill their wants and needs, as well as to establish rules and maintain their culture. The origin of language has been a popular topic for research study over the past two centuries. Thus, the philosophers and linguists have come out with some theories such as the divine source theory, Language Universals theory, and the verbal and gestural theory which can answer the question of how the behavior

Gestural theory is one of the most important theories in the origin of language because it can explain why infants and the early human being can create their own language. The early human or cavemen communicated by hitting sticks on walls, and experimenting with the sound and the vibration of the stick. They also drew pictures and symbols on the sand or rocks and they would do signs with their hand like a sign language to represent different animals while they were hunting. Thus, it gave ideas that primitive people also have their own language to communicate with each other; one of them is the sign language. From a grammatical standpoint, sign language is just as sophisticated as spoken language because sign language placed on the same “language areas” in the left hemisphere as spoken languages do and in particular the Broca’s area, which lies very close to the motor areas that control the arms and hands. According to Helen J. Neville and her colleagues of the University of Oregon, both Broca's and Wernicke's areas, the two main language-mediating areas in the left side of the brain, are activated in deaf signers while they watch sentences in American Sign Language (ASL) and the result is similar to the hearing people when they listened to spoken sentences. This study shows that sign

This verse proves that God (Allah) has created language as a perfect gift for human and can only be understood by those who have knowledge about it. In short, we can practically see that all the known functions of language and its origin are in the evidence right from the creation such as how the babies communicate through sounds and gestures and also how the early human being produces language that can be understood within them. A switch from manual to vocal language has produced superior technology which allowed people to use their hands for the manufacture of tools and their voices for instruction. This action is similar to the behavior of early human being that using sounds as a form of interaction while they working and hunting. Language is a powerful tools for human but dangerous in today sinful world. Therefore, human should use the language they have learnt in a good manner and for a good