The evolution of languages or history of language includes the evolution, divergence and development of languages throughout time, as reconstructed based on glottochronology, comparative linguistics, …

Oct 2, 2025 · One view is that language evolved gradually, emerging from earlier forms of communication such as gestures, facial expressions, and vocal calls. Another theory proposes a …

Teach your students how the languages of the world have evolved over time, and how their own languages continue to evolve today with this curated collection of resources.

Jul 17, 2025 · Theories of language evolution aim to explain the emergence of language as it is today [see Language]. Thus, the specific ways that scholars characterize what evolved—the current human …

Sep 1, 2017 · Much like the evolution of biological species, which stretches from a unicellular prototype to humans, the evolution of language is a continuum that extends from the first conventionalized …

Nov 24, 2025 · Languages change in all their aspects, in their pronunciation, word forms, syntax, and word meanings (semantic change). These changes are mostly very gradual in their operation, …

Language evolution is the application of evolutionary theory to the study of language. We tend to think of evolution as being mainly a process that affects biological populations, so it's worth starting with a …

Read the latest special section from the Journal of Language Evolution addressing the need to look into the implications of DNA on language origins and evolution.

The majority of modern theorists concur that language emerged as a result of the interplay of three intricate adaptive systems: biological evolution, human learning, and the creation and maintenance …

Nov 17, 2025 · Evolution of language is the gradual change in human language over time. It involves the origin and divergence of languages and language families, and can be considered analogous to …