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In [[linguistics]], monogenesis vs. polygenesis concerns whether there was a single original language, spoken by all humankind; or if there were multiple original languages, spoken by different subsets of humanity. In evolutionary terms, this is the argument about whether language evolved once, or on multiple separate ocassions. It is a separate question from the evolution of the underlying species. In creationist terms, it is believed that Adam spoke an original language, which later developed in different directions - greatly helped along by divine intervention at [[Babel]]. On the other hand, a polygenist creationist may believe that each of the separate creations of original humans corresponded to a separate original language.

In [[linguistics]], monogenesis vs. polygenesis concerns whether there was a single original language, spoken by all humankind; or if there were multiple original languages, spoken by different subsets of humanity. In evolutionary terms, this is the argument about whether language evolved once, or on multiple separate ocassions. It is a separate question from the evolution of the underlying species. In creationist terms, it is believed that Adam spoke an original language, which later developed in different directions - greatly helped along by divine intervention at [[Babel]]. On the other hand, a polygenist creationist may believe that each of the separate creations of original humans corresponded to a separate original language.

In Jewish thought, the traditional belief is that the language of Adam was [[Hebrew]] - although that differs from the views of contemporary linguistics, which sees Hebrew evolving out of a Proto-[[Afro-Asiatic]] language which was also the common of other languages such as [[Arabic]], [[Aramaic]], [[ancient Egyptian]], [[Coptic]], [[Akkadian]], and the various [[Ethiopic languages]]. Others have suggested the Adamic language was different from Hebrew, and was some other language now lost - [[Joseph Smith]], the founder of [[Mormonism]], claimed to have been given some knowledge of this language by divine revelation.

In [[Jewish]] thought, the traditional belief is that the language of Adam was [[Hebrew]] - although that differs from the views of contemporary linguistics, which sees Hebrew evolving out of a Proto-[[Afro-Asiatic]] language which was also the common ancestor of other languages such as [[Arabic]], [[Aramaic]], [[ancient Egyptian]], [[Coptic]], [[Akkadian]], and the various [[Ethiopic languages]]. Others have suggested the Adamic language was different from Hebrew, and was some other language now lost - [[Joseph Smith]], the founder of [[Mormonism]], claimed to have been given some knowledge of this language by divine revelation.

Linguistic polygenesis would contradict controversial hypothesises that claim that all the world's major language families originate from one common original language, such as Nostratic. However, most linguists who criticise these theories do so, not from any commitment to lingustic polygenism, but simply on the basis that there is a lack of evidence to support them - even if all human languages descend from a common origin, critics of these hypothesises believe that knowledge of it has been lost to the mysts of time, and cannot be reconstructed.

Linguistic polygenesis would contradict controversial hypothesises that claim that all the world's major language families originate from one common original language, such as Nostratic. However, most linguists who criticise these theories do so, not from any commitment to lingustic polygenism, but simply on the basis that there is a lack of evidence to support them - even if all human languages descend from a common origin, critics of these hypothesises believe that knowledge of it has been lost to the mysts of time, and cannot be reconstructed.

[[Category:Heresies]]

[[Category:Heresies]]