Where did human language come from?  To be clear, we are using the word language in the sense of the human ability to speak, not a particular language such as English or Spanish, German or Latin.  Obviously, the origin of language is outside the scope of repeatable, observable scientific experimentation.  But by studying current languages, one can see the puzzle pieces scattered across the board, waiting to be put together.  Of course, there are a lot of missing pieces.  Human language is very complex, and much more complicated than the gruntings of animals.  How did language –  how could language – begin?

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