So in a world with just 2 languages, for example, English and Spanish, and assuming there is only one person speaking each language and the other person doesn’t know how to speak your language, how did people at the beginning of civilization learn and teach a language since no one knows the other language?
I think you can learn the vocabulary by pointing to an object and saying the word but what about the grammar and special rules? I would assume this is because the ancient languages are simple, right?
In: 6
[Pidgin languages](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin) were common when people from different continents first met for international trade. It’s a simpler way of communication that can eventually evolve into a real language with actual grammar (Creole).
There is a very interesting example of a Creole sign language developing at a school for deaf children in Nicaragua (where they were exclusively being taught to read lips and text in Spanish). People are hardwired for language. Grammar appears surpringly quickly in rudimentary communication.
Latest Answers