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A Modern New Look Into Neanderthal Languages

by thunderbird
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Scientists say our languages might preserve Neanderthal talk - NBC News.com
"Neanderthal genes also suggest that the stocky yet brainy individuals possessed tonal languages, since there is an association between tone and two of their genes involved in brain growth and development."
  • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
    Huuggghhhhh?

    Dan

    PS: Interesting TB
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

    Scientists say our languages might preserve Neanderthal talk - NBC News.com
    "Neanderthal genes also suggest that the stocky yet brainy individuals possessed tonal languages, since there is an association between tone and two of their genes involved in brain growth and development."
    Their vocal chords weren't as developed as ours are so a tonal language would help them make up for the lack of phonetic diversity capabilities.

    On one of my newsletters I had a MP3 - or some sort of audio of a reconstruction of how a neanderthal would say the letter A or something. Long time ago, don't really remember exactly - but the article tells what it's about. write too much to remember everything.

    Anyhow - if you're interested I'll dig up the link to that newsletter for ya.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      Their vocal chords weren't as developed as ours are so a tonal language would help them make up for the lack of phonetic diversity capabilities.

      On one of my newsletters I had a MP3 - or some sort of audio of a reconstruction of how a neanderthal would say the letter A or something. Long time ago, don't really remember exactly - but the article tells what it's about. write too much to remember everything.

      Anyhow - if you're interested I'll dig up the link to that newsletter for ya.
      I've come across sound files depicting what Neanderthal language may have sounded like. I've long suspected that Basque arose out of Neanderthal language, but it is not tonal. Also, it seems to be an isolate, (possibly related to the language of the Ainu minority in Japan ). I even entertained a theory that the Ainu were a homosapien/Neanderthal hybrid who intermixed with settlers from Asia. That they worshiped bears as the Neanderthal did, seemed to be evidence of my theory. But a more likely scenario is that my theory is full of sh*t.
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