Re: [tied] Re: Evolution of Language

george knysh <gknysh@...> writes: (Fri Jan 31, 2003  3:30 pm)
<<*****GK: 40,000 BC homosapiens A says "ugh"=== 39,000
BC homosapiens A* makes a "breakthrough". Instead of
"ugh" it says "ugh ugh" thus demonstrating bigger
brain power and attracting a following of grateful
"ughs". Do we really have to wait another one thousand
years for some other homosapiens to figure oput that
"ugh ugh ugh" will do it for him (:=))))?****>>

I don't know when hominids were physiological capable of producing the -ugh-
sound, but -uk-, -eek- and -aek- were probably within the sound range of most
primates millions of years ago. Since Neanderthals had bigger brains and
appear to have had sound articulation capabilities comparable to modern
humans, we might suppose they could have managed much more than just an
-ugh-. In either case, the distance from ugh-ugh to the articulation of an
"ingressive aorist subjunctive" verb form was still quite a hike.

SL