Question

What is the Bow-Wow Theory of language origin based on?

• A. Imitation of natural sounds
• B. Expression of emotions
• C. Body gestures
• D. Sound symbolism

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Imitation of natural sounds

The Bow-Wow Theory suggests that language began when early humans imitated the sounds in nature. The theory is based on the idea that humans initially made words by mimicking natural sounds around them. For instance, the word "buzz" imitates the sound made by bees, or "clang" imitates the sound of metal striking metal. This theory is limited because it mainly explains onomatopoeic words, which represent a small part of a language’s vocabulary.