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Word of Mouth

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them

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Word of Mouth: The First Language

The First Language

BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, The First Language

What was the earliest language and how did it evolve? Michael Rosen investigates.

There are thousands of languages today - is it possible to trace them back to a single ancestor? Michael Rosen and linguist Dr Laura Wright investigate our earliest languages.

Michael Rosen asks what the earliest language was and how it evolved.   Michael joins linguist Dr Laura Wright on a journey to meet our meat-scavenging, fire-harnessing ancestors to discover the primal sources of language. There are thousands of languages today - is it possible to trace them back to a single ancestor? With anthropologist Robert Foley and linguist Maggie Tallerman. 

Producer: Melvin Rickarby

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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