01 what can we learn about the earliest human lan.pdf.docVIP

First Proofs Monday, February 04 2008 1 5 What can we learn about the earliest human language by comparing languages known today? Lyle Campbell University of Canterbury, NZ 7 1 Introduction Looking back from modern languages, what can we find out about the earliest human language? The goal of this paper is to determine what, if anything, can be learned about the earliest human language(s) from evidence extant in modern and older attested languages. It evaluates attempts arrive at the origins of language through such comparisons. The main finding is negative: