Definition of Linguistics, Language, and The Origin of Language

Linguistic derived from the Latin "lingua" meaning language, the French language "langage-langue", Italian "lingua", Spanish "lengua" and English "language". While the suffix "ics" in linguistics serves to indicate the name of a science.

Many linguistic experts define, among others:
> Jurji Zaidan, defines linguistics as a science that investigates the language of the written and non-written.
> Saiful Mu'minin, Imam, define Linguistics as a science that discusses the language of the various sides.
> King T. Nasr (1984) Linguistics deals with human language as universal and recognizable part of human behavior and human capabilities.
> BLOOMFIELD (1933: 20-34), Linguistics is a science (science), as well as physics and chemistry is a science.
> MATTHEWS, Linguistics is defined as the science of language or the scientific study of language
 
Of the various definitions of the experts above, it can be concluded that the Linguistic is a basis for the scientific study of human language from various aspects, including sounds, words and grammar rules bahasannya, or can be defined as the study of language, and make the language as an object of study.
What is language?
Language is a tool to convey information, ideas, concepts or feeling that comes to the heart, in the sense of the word as a means of conveying something.
There are various definitions of language according to the experts, including:
1. PLATO, language is essentially a statement of one's mind by means onomata (name objects or something) and rhemata (speech), which is a reflection of the idea of ​​someone in the flow of air through the mouth.
2. Harimurti Kridalaksana, 1993:21, Language is a symbol system sounds an arbitrary language that allows people to work together, interact, and identify.
3. WILLIAM A. Haviland, Language is a system of sounds that when combined according to certain rules pose meanings can be captured by all the people who speak the language
4. Wittgenstein, Language is a form of thinking that can be understood, in touch with reality, and has the form and structure of logical
5. According Wibowo (2001:3), language is a system of symbols that are meaningful and articulate sound (generated by said tool) that are arbitrary and conventional, which is used as a means of communication by a group of men to give birth to feelings and thoughts.
In the study of linguistics, language is defined as a system of spoken or written symbols that human beings as a means of communication in the form of sound. There is a language called English, Indonesian, Portuguese, and others. This language is based on relationships formed in the absence of advance planning, and the subsequent development of named and default, also sometimes formed.
Language is a system, which means the language formed by the various components of the irregular and fixed.

The system language is made up of sound symbols, which symbols represent a concept or meaning. As a symbol of the language that reads "mango", epitomizes the meaning of "something that can be used as a meal or a drink."

Function of language
The main function of language is as a communication tool, or a means to convey information, thoughts, or feelings gasasan.
Language also serves to:
1. Interaction in daily life
2. Aesthetically satisfying their people through beautiful words.
3. The tool expands other pengentahuan

In fact, even today the origin of human language is becoming a topic of scholarly discussion of the scientists. One of the problems that make it difficult topic to study is the lack of concrete evidence. As a result, scientists who want to study the origins of language must draw conclusions from the evidence such as the fossil record or from archaeological evidence, from contemporary linguistic diversity, from the study of language acquisition, and from a comparison between human language and communication systems that exist among animals others, especially other primates.
 

There are many language origins several hypotheses are:

Hypothesis 'mother tongue' in the proposed in 2004 by W. Tecumseh Fitch. Fitch stated that language evolved initially as a communication between the mother and her biological offspring (children).

In 1861, the historian linguist Max Müller published a list of speculative theories about the origin of language:
• Bow-wow. Theory bow-wow or a cuckoo, which Muller atribusikan the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, see the words started as imitations of the cries of wild animals or birds.
• Pooh-pooh. Theory of Pooh-Pooh saw first words as shouts and interjection triggered by emotional pain, happy, surprised, and others.
• Ding-dong. Müller suggests what he calls the theory of Ding-Dong, which states that all creatures have a natural resonant vibrations, words echoed by humans in some way initially.
• Yo-he-ho. Theory yo-he-ho to see the language emerging from cooperation activities regularly, attempt to synchronize the muscle produces a sound that 'drew' interchangeably with sound like a ho.
• Ta-ta. This theory is not in the list of Max Müller, but raised by Sir Richard Paget in 1930 According to the theory of ta-ta, the first man to make words by moving the tongue that mimics the movement manually, making it sound muted.

(Source: http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test1materials/origin_of_language.htm)
The results of a study reported diScience Magazine menggungkapkan 15 April 2011, that the language used by the first humans came from South Africa. From this language then spread throughout the world. Researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, Quentin Atkinson, a study by tracing the track record by breaking 504 languages ​​language into the smallest components called phonemes.

 
The conclusion from these studies is that the more distant group of humans ventured out of Africa in the track record of its history, the fewer phonemes used in their language. This means that, as predicted in the study, the languages ​​in South America and the Pacific Islands have the fewest phonemes, whereas in African languages ​​have phonemes most. (Source, Kompas.com)

So his conclusion, to date, the origin of the language has not been established presence. The hypothesis "is already known, it was only by a few people who tried to broaden the use of research.