The origin of language is still a pending major issue. The basic connotation of language origin includes the definition of language, the conditions of language origin, the specific process of language origin, and the relationship between language origin and naming of things. The study of the origin of language has a clear turn in the new century, and the relevant research is more comprehensive, systematic and scientific. The common presupposition of language origin hypothesis defines language from the communicative function of language. Some hypotheses overlap in essence. Although the hypothesis of language origin lacks empirical materials, it has certain research reference value. There are two opposites in the study of the language origin, one is the opposition between the One-source theory and the Multi-source theory, the other is the opposition between the Gradualism and the Mutationism. The origin of language has its necessity and scientificity to become an academic issue. The origin of language has distinct interdisciplinary research nature, and the new research platform for the origin of language is evolutionary linguistics. In the future research on the origin of language, academic circles should establish a high degree of problem awareness, in addition to strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation, and constantly consolidate the latest research position of evolutionary linguistics.

Jiaocheng Wang. Review and prospect for the Research on Language Origin. International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology (2021), Vol. 3, Issue 12: 118-125. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFS.2021.031215.

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