Definition of protolanguage in English:
protolanguage
nounˈprəʊtəʊˌlaŋɡwɪdʒˈprōdōˌlaNG(ɡ)wij
A hypothetical lost parent language from which actual languages are derived.
Example sentencesExamples
- From a linguistic perspective, any protolanguage would be merely embryonic.
- His possible answer to this is that ‘the socio-cultural transition from protolanguages to modern languages took 60,000 years; but this seems unlikely in the light of modern evidence from creolization’ .
- This claim would be supported by a demonstration that linguistic behavior during sleep is restricted to protolanguage.
- Here we have to turn to notions of exaptation, for language is a unique aptitude that doesn't seem to have emerged from protolanguage, and certainly did not do so directly.