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Aelred_Minor
Guest
That’s a joke, right?
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Tous_Logous
Guest
Probably some proto-proto-proto (etc.) Semitic language, if we assume that Eden was in the Fertile Crescent area or some other part of the Middle East. Since writing is a “recent” human invention (within the last thousands of years) my guess is that Adam and Eve were big on oral tradition (as the Israelites and other Middle Eastern peoples are).
Or, if Adam and Eve were created in Africa, probably an early, obscure African language (African cultures are big on oral tradition too).
Or, if Adam and Eve were created in Africa, probably an early, obscure African language (African cultures are big on oral tradition too).
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Aelred_Minor
Guest
Quenya is closer to the original Elvish language, but it would seem that the first humans, or at least the ancestors of the Edain, learned their language from Elves far to the east, either Avari or Nandor. This language would presumably have been either closer to Sindarin than Quenya or equally distant from either of them.Quenya or Sindarin?
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Aelred_Minor
Guest
Whether Eden was in Africa, the Middle East, or elsewhere, the language(s) now spoken in that region would be no closer to the original human language than any other language anywhere else in the world. All languages would be equally descended from the original one, and while language does evolve at different rates in different cultures what reason would we have for supposing it would evolve more slowly in its place of origin?
For a modern example of the concept, consider how American English is in many respects actually closer to 17th century English than the English of modern England. Same story with the French spoken in Quebec compared to that spoken in France.
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Tous_Logous
Guest
I’m not too educated about the science of linguistics and the history of human language. But from what I understand, whatever language Adam and Eve spoke, it could have either been a language that was pidgin-like (simple, lacking modern syntax) or creole-like (a step above pidgin), or possibly neither. For them both to speak a creole-like language, they would have had to “nativize” whatever language their parents spoke (in this case, God).
But from what how we read of Adam and Eve speaking in the Bible, it’s almost like they are a step above pidgin and creole-like languages (this is probably anachronistic though, via the author(s)/writer(s) of Genesis). But you could say Adam possibly spoke in a pidgin-like language because he gave all the plants and animals names (compare “dog” to “I am a dog that steals my master’s newspaper”). Adam could give all the animals and plants names even with rudimentary language.
Or in this case, “anything is possible with God?”
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fnr
Guest
First, the first humans (adam is actually a ungendered noun, not a proper name, that refers to the human first created without sexual differentiation in Genesis 2 (Gen 1:26 refers to “adam” in a generic sense of “human beings” or “humankind”). As such, the story cannot be placed in a historical time and place with any accuracy. The story of Genesis 2-3 is figurative, so should not be confused with history, although it speaks of the theological truth that is also historical – that we are created intentionally and in relationship with one another by a loving God.
Second, historical linguistics doesn’t give us a single “root” language for all human beings. There are estimates of where languages originated, as described in this New York Times article. As pointed out in the original article in Science magazine, if you look at the diversity of different sounds (“phonemes”) within different languages, when averaged together, Africa has the greatest diversity. The average number of phonemes (sounds used within a language) decreases with distance from Africa. This provides fairly strong evidence, consistent with similar patterns found in genetic diversity, that Africa is the source of the original human language.
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TimothyH
Guest
There are actually at least three creation stories in Genesis and a fourth in the Book of Revelation.
Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 is the first creation account, a six day creation - light and dark, firmament, heaven and earth, the sea separated from dry land, plants, fish and animals. Man is created last.
The second creation account is in Genesis 2:4 to 2:25. Here man is created first, before the animals. God forms man out of the clay, blows the breath of life into his nostrils. creates the animals which are not suitable as a helpmate and then creates woman from man’s rib.
Genesis 9 is the third creation account, when Noah and his son’s exit the ark. God tells Noah to be fruitful and multiply, gives them every living thing for food, blesses them, makes a covenant with them and the entire world is populated through Noah’s sons.
There is a fourth creation account in the Book of Revelation, when God creates all things new, when the new Heaven and new earth are created, when New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven.
-Tim-
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JM3
Guest
I suppose everyone has their own point of view. As for me, I see one creation account. What you call a ‘second creation account’, I see as an explanation of how Man was created male and female on the sixth day. I see nothing in it that would make it different from the first or contradict what is said in the first.
But that’s just me.
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Timothysis
Guest
We have a winner!
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TimothyH
Guest
In Genesis 1 man is created last, after the animals.I suppose everyone has their own point of view. As for me, I see one creation account. What you call a ‘second creation account’, I see as an explanation of how Man was created male and female on the sixth day. I see nothing in it that would make it different from the first or contradict what is said in the first.
But that’s just me.
In Genesis 2 man is created first, before the animals.
-Tim-
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epan
Guest
I’ll say, Esperanto.
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Judas_Thaddeus
Guest
The first human language which we probably don’t have a clue about.
Though I personally would GUESS,
maybe, the “click language” of the
San Bushmen People.
The Bushmen People are really the oldest known
people in the world, so that is where I would trace
Adam & Eve, whether literal people or metaphoric-
seeing how humans began in Africa (according to
physical evidence which God did not leave to con-
fuse us).
I like the click language, something about it.
Though I personally would GUESS,
maybe, the “click language” of the
San Bushmen People.
The Bushmen People are really the oldest known
people in the world, so that is where I would trace
Adam & Eve, whether literal people or metaphoric-
seeing how humans began in Africa (according to
physical evidence which God did not leave to con-
fuse us).
I like the click language, something about it.
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