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Why is language considered "universal"?

Language is considered universal because it is present wherever there are people. This is further affirmed by:

  • Deaf children creating their own language (Goldin-Meadow 1982)
  • Humans have an innate ability to follow complex rules they are not aware of
  • Different cultures have different languages (5,000+ languages, 750 discovered in New Guinea alone)
  • Language development is similar across cultures (regardless of language, "babbling" starts around 7 months, meaningful words at 1 year, and multiple words at 2 years)
  • Most languages have words for nouns and verbs, a system to make things negative, ask questions and convey past or present

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Updated 2020-12-13

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