Here's why:
* No Written Records: Languages developed long before written records existed. The earliest known writing systems date back to around 3200 BC, but language likely existed for thousands of years before that.
* Language Evolution: Languages constantly evolve and change over time. The language spoken by our earliest ancestors would be unrecognizable to us today.
* Multiple Theories: Linguists have various theories about the origins of language and the proto-languages that gave rise to the families of languages we see today. However, none are definitively proven.
What we do know is that:
* Language is ancient: The ability to communicate using language is a defining characteristic of humans, and it has likely existed for hundreds of thousands of years.
* All languages are related: Linguists have traced the origins of many modern languages back to a smaller number of proto-languages. This suggests that all languages ultimately share a common ancestor.
While we may never know the exact first language spoken, studying language origins is a fascinating area of research that helps us understand the history of humanity and the power of communication.