* Languages evolve constantly: Languages change over time through contact, migration, and natural evolution. This means there is no single point in time where a "mother language" existed.
* Language families: Linguists have organized languages into families based on shared ancestry. This shows that languages have diversified from common roots, but it's difficult to trace back to a single origin.
* Proto-languages: Linguists can reconstruct earlier stages of languages (called proto-languages), but even these are hypothetical reconstructions based on evidence.
So, while we can't pinpoint a specific location for a "mother language," we can say that:
* Language likely originated in Africa: This is based on the fact that the oldest known fossils of humans are found in Africa, and linguistic diversity is highest in Africa, suggesting a long history of language evolution there.
* Language likely evolved over time: The process of language development is complex and involves a series of changes and adaptations over thousands of years.
It's fascinating to consider the evolution of language, but the precise origin of a "mother language" remains a mystery.