Eli5: How did we invent words? What makes words to be considered a certain meaning?
In: Other
Probably by imitaing sounds.
You see a mammoth, you rund excitedly to the rest of the tribe point in the direction and make trunk trumpeting sounds.
You do this everytime you see one and it becomes less important to make a realistic sound, you make a sound that is reminiscent of trumpeting, but easier to do.
No little Booga spots a mammoth. He runs back to the tribe and since he’s seen you do it a dozen times, he makes the same sound.
Everyone in the tribe knows what that sound means by now. You invented a word.
Short answer: it depends on the word.
Example #1:
As far as I know (and someone will correct me if I’m wrong), the word for “female parent” in practically every language in the world contains the same basic phonemes; the “mm” sound, and the “ah” sound. There may be other phonemes present, but the two are universal.
Why? Because those are usually the first non-wailing sounds a baby can make. And historically, babies were with their female parent when first putting those sounds together. So those babies would look at the female parent while saying “ma-ma” (or some variation). And that parent would respond to those sounds.
Thus we get the words for “mother”.
Example #2:
Back before electricity and the silicon circuit, people did calculations by hand. There was a lot of work for people who did nothing but these calculations. As their job was to “compute” these calculations, they were called “computers”. Centuries later, electronic devices were invented that were capable of doing the same job, but even more and even faster. Since they were doing the job of the human computers, these devices were also called “computers.” Now the word primarily refers to the device and not a person.
The origin of language is ultimately unknown and most likely unknowable. If anyone says they have a definitive answer, they’re either mistaken or in line for a Nobel prize.
The origin of language is lost in the mists of ancient history of other human species than ours. Scientists use bird calls, monkey calls (they differ if an eagle or a snake approaches), bird song, dolphin and whale communication (not well understood), elephant communication (often outside human hearing range), and study of chimps and bonobos and gorillas in captivity (who are adept at sign language but scientists are still arguing if they can string together sentences with proper grammar or instead string together words at random). Dogs can understand human spoken grammar but do not have the vocal apparatus for our speech, too, so it appears that some of the brain areas needed existed pre-human, but the assumption is that brain development and vocal tract both evolved in ways that were reinforcing.
Drawing conclusions about speech ability of other human species is no easy task but some of the tiny bones in Neanderthals and the angle of the throat have lead to speculation.
Presumably the first word was “Mama” if human language is any indication.
Rule 2.
Better to r/askhistorians or r/asklinguistics about this.
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