Here's why:
* No written records: The earliest stages of language development predate writing systems by thousands of years. We have no direct records of how language sounded or functioned.
* Limited physical evidence: While archaeologists have discovered tools and artifacts that suggest complex thought processes, they don't directly tell us about language.
* Theories, not facts: Linguists have developed various theories about language origins, but these are based on inferences, comparisons between languages, and observations of language development in children.
Some popular theories include:
* The "bow-wow" theory: This theory suggests language arose from imitations of animal sounds.
* The "yo-he-ho" theory: This theory suggests language arose from grunts and shouts used during physical labor.
* The "ding-dong" theory: This theory suggests language arose from a natural connection between sounds and the objects they represent.
The reality is that we likely won't ever have definitive answers about language origins. It's a fascinating mystery that continues to intrigue linguists and other scholars.
It's important to remember that while we may not know the exact details, we can still study language in its current forms, analyze its evolution, and learn a lot about how it works and how it shapes our thinking and understanding of the world.