People started talking to each other like they were telling stories. Imagine you're with your friends in the forest and you see a lion coming. You point at it, shout 'Lion!', and your friends run away. That's how language began, with sounds and gestures that meant things. Over time, people made more sounds for more words, and soon they had full languages.
Examples
- A group of children playing in the park use hand signals to communicate when they see a ball coming.
- Your grandfather shouts 'Food!' every time he sees dinner on the table.
- You use the same sound, 'Meow!', to say both 'Cat' and 'I'm hungry.'
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See also
- How Are ‘Languages’ Created and Why Do Some Die Out?
- How Did the First Languages Begin?
- What Makes a Language Differ from Another?
- What Makes a Language ‘Popular’ or ‘Endangered’?
- What Makes a Language Feel Foreign to Us?
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