ORIGINS

Language

The first humans on Earth, 2.5 million years ago, were hunters and gatherers who lived in small groups, moving to a different location when their food supply was empty. The first humans probably screamed, smiled, cried, and shoved to get their message across. This type of communication only lasted for a short time before symbols began to be used. These symbols were a way of making language more permanent as well as transferable.
Localism was what mainly determined the spread of conversation. Lack of language was an issue because there would be no communication between neighboring societies. This created an even larger barrier between evolving individuals, people who lived more than a few miles away were considered completely foreign. Europe didn't begin solely as one entity but more as a network of small local units that had no similarities or even awareness of each other. Most European languages are of Indo-European origins, the romance languages originating from Latin which was the language of the ancient Romans.

This all lead to vernacular, defined as a native language of locality for a given region. For us, this would be considered English however a lot came before this common language we take for granted today. The first common spread in vernacular was through literary works in Latin of Christian realm as well as verbal exchanges in religious sanctuaries. Throughout the Middle Ages the Church attempted to maintain Latin as the "langua franca" or common language in order to unite and maintain the unit of a Christendom or land of all Christians. 
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Watch this interview with Mr. Henley to learn about the difference between the French he speaks in his Canadian home and the French that is taught. Mr. Henley also explains the differences between the language and culture in Canada and French, allowing us to gain a better understanding on how the same language can vary in different countries.

Sources
  • http://manhattaninfidel.com/__oneclick_uploads/2010/11/cave-painting.jpg
  • http://www.animhut.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/503025-med.jpg
  • http://images.sciencedaily.com/2008/07/080704130439-large.jpg