First Language is Gestures Instead of Grunts, Experiment Suggests

The ability of people to communicate through complex language systems is what separates humans from other species. Alongside the casual exchange of information, ideas and culture are retained throughout the generations because of our skill to talk with each other.

But even though we use it every day, language has a deeper history that we still do not know. Details of how ancient people started to talk and the first-ever type of language they used remain unsolved.

Origin of Language

A new study attempted to track the origins of language through a series of experiments. Among their aims was to identify if the first humans grunted as means of communication.

The investigation focused on the sole purpose of the language, which is to relay information and meaning across various people. Part of the experiment compares the communication efficacy between non-verbal sounds and quiet gestures.

The linguistic research was made possible through the help of 30 individuals that hail from various countries and different cultures. The participants were divided into two and required to join a game similar to charades but simultaneously used non-verbal vocalizations and gestures.

The game was repeated with 20 participants, half sighted and the other including blind members. This separate exercise was required to be observed by a separate group.

University of Western Australia School of Psychological Science expert and author of the study Nicolas Fay explained their team found that successful communication scores of the gestures were double than the vocalization. These scores came up even when the experiment involved either cross-culture or the sighted-blind groups, ScienceAlert reports.

Grunt vs. Gesture

According to the paper, the results from the analysis revealed consistent data that was previously presented wherein the theory suggests that the language of origin is indeed gesture.

The participants' gesture signals were more similar than the vocal signals. One example is selecting the right signal representing the word 'lock,' where non-verbal actions are easier to use than finding a sound that will embody the word.

The authors concluded that gesture was undoubtedly an easier approach to pass signals than vocalization as the method is more universal as opposed to vocalization.

The team theorized that the cognitive skill for language in ancient humans did not evolve until 500,000 years ago, right when various languages are believed to have emerged. But the scientists emphasized that other potential factors brought up the foundation of languages, such as the separate development of gesture and vocal sounds.

Fay and colleagues said that further research is required to single out every clue that will point out how vocalization and gestures worked together in the past and identify instances where both communication methods did impede each other's development.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, titled "Gesture is the Primary Modality for Language Creation."

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