Question

how did language spread from one Proto-Indo-European language to the more than 6,000 languages we speak today

Answer 1

Answer:

It is difficult to imagine what life was like before human language. There are between five and six thousand languages in the world today, grouped into fewer than 20 language families. Languages are linked to each other by shared words, sounds, or grammatical constructions. There are two main branches of human language: Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic, each containing various language families. One theory states that the members of each of these linguistic groups descended from one "proto-language," a common ancestor. Experts believe these proto-languages may have been spoken as recently as a few thousand years ago. The majority of linguists believe the first "mother" language originated somewhere in Eurasia, although this is not known for certain.

Ancient Greek mythology taught that language was not a human invention at all, but a gift from the gods. According to modern philosophers and linguists, language likely began with the use of various imitative sounds that humans made to mimic the sounds of the world around them and express emotion. As this form of communication progressed, humans began connecting specific sounds to specific things and actions. This suggests that humans began to think in the abstract.

The ability to use words to symbolize abstract ideas is key to human adaptability and development of culture. Many linguists believe language developed in two phases. The first phase was through the use of verbal or gestural signs. Early humans probably used a form of signing much simpler than sign languages today to communicate. The second phase of language development employed formal syntax. Syntax refers to the patterns that govern the way words are combined to form phrases, and how phrases are then combined to form sentences. Being able to compose complete sentences improved precision and clarity in thought and communication for early humans. Some anthropologists believe that humans are born with a general language instinct. This neutral processing network contains a universal grammar for learning the meaning of words and speaking a language. This instinct gives human babies the ability to learn any language when they are born.