01. Human Language!

01. Human Language! What is the language that humans have been using? One of the most important characteristics that distinguish humans from animals is whether or not they use language. Therefore, language is one of the essential elements in defining humans. Of course, animals also communicate to some extent through their sounds, but strictly speaking, it cannot be called language. This is because human language contains all human thoughts and knowledge, society and literature, history and philosophy, whereas animals only convey the most basic and simple intentions with a few sounds, making it fundamentally different from the complex realm of human language. Humans, as subjects of language, continuously speak, listen, write, and read through this language, clearly communicating their thoughts and feelings with others. However, this does not mean that language is a perfect or complete tool for communication among humans. The reason is that, as we sometimes experience, even when we speak the same language, the other person may understand something completely different from what we intended. Furthermore, we humans often overlook the importance of the language we use in our daily lives or do not fully understand the language itself. Nevertheless, the fact that humans naturally acquire language from birth and use it until death is because it is the most effective and efficient means of communication among humans to date. Living with an objective understanding and perspective on language can provide us with a richer life as humans. According to recent studies by linguists, there are about 6,000 to 7,000 indigenous languages being used on Earth today, and one-third of them are expected to disappear within 100 years. Conversely, if we look closely, there is a significant correlation between languages, and by organizing these languages, we can see that languages have influenced each other from top to bottom, deriving and developing more diversely over time.So, when did such languages begin? The answer is that there is no established and confirmed theory on the origin of language. However, various theories have been proposed, including the “Divine Origin Theory” based on the Bible, the “Imitation Theory,” the “Human Invention Theory,” the “Natural Evolution Theory” suggesting that language naturally arose as human groups formed to communicate their intentions and emotions, the “Bow-Wow Theory” suggesting that language originated from imitating animal sounds, the “Pooh-Pooh Theory” suggesting that language arose from instinctively expressing emotions, and the “Yo-He-Ho Theory” suggesting that language was invented for communication during cooperative work in primitive societies. Among these, the “Divine Origin Theory” is based on the Christian Bible, claiming that human language originated from God’s words to Adam and that originally there was one language, but it was divided into multiple languages as a result of humans challenging God’s domain by building the Tower of Babel, incurring God’s wrath.There are various theories and claims about the derivation process of language. Most of these claims are roughly understandable, but the “Divine Origin Theory” stands out with its unique content and depth. This raises curiosity about the fundamental basis and content of this “Divine Origin Theory.”