For more than 150 years ago, the assumption that language is a singular event has hampered progress in explaining its evolution. Another obstacle was the failure to recognize that certain social ...

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate or incomplete facts about the history of language. Language is an essential part of human communication, allowing ...

A key human characteristic is our ability to communicate through complex languages — about 7,000 of which are spoken around the world today. Understanding the origin and development of past and ...