> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Did Homo erectus have language? - URL: https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/2026-11/ - Published: 2026-03-19T09:00:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-19T09:00:48.000Z - Description: Also this week: Did writing just get pushed back tens of thousands of years? + How slang works + We finally understand why horses whinny - Author: Daniel W. Hieber, Ph.D. - Tags: Current Linguistics, slang, history of writing, language evolution, proto-writing, human evolution, animal communication, phonetics, Egyptian hieroglyphs, slurs, taboo speech, Great Vowel Shift, etymology Welcome to this week’s edition of *Discovery Digest*, a weekly roundup of the latest language-related news, research in linguistics, interesting reads from the week, and newest books and other media dealing with language and linguistics! ## 📢 Updates & Announcements *Announcements and what’s new with me and Linguistic Discovery.* ### How slang works: Interview with *Psychology Today* ### ![Cartoon-style illustration of a group of people talking, with colorful speech bubbles filled with slang terms, including “low key,” “unalive,” “rizz,” “six/seven,” “skibidi,” “boss,” “slay,” “mid,” “yeet,” and “sigma.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/image-37.png) Gary Drevitch at *Psychology Today* recently interviewed me for a great piece, published this week, about how slang works, where it comes from, and the role it plays in society. Also interviewed for the piece were Adam Aleksic (@EtymologyNerd, author of *Algospeak: How social media is transforming the future of language* \[[Amazon](https://amzn.to/44KjIGi?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593804070?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)\]) and linguist Valerie Fridland (author of *Why we talk funny: The real story behind our accents* \[[Amazon](https://amzn.to/4rXkM4I?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593830482?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)\] and *Like, literally, dude: Arguing for the good in bad English* \[[Amazon](https://amzn.to/42THdO9?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) | [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/110785/9780593298329?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)\]). [No Cap: Slang Is Low-key More Powerful Than EverFor slang to catch on, it has to be funny or cool.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-71.png)Psychology Today![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/teaser-slangs-2.jpg)](https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/202603/no-cap-slang-is-low-key-more-powerful-than-ever?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) ## 🆕 New from Linguistic Discovery *This week’s content from Linguistic Discovery.* ### Did new research just push back the date of the earliest writing by 30,000 years? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/image-38.png) The [Adorant figurine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adorant%5Ffrom%5Fthe%5FGei%C3%9Fenkl%C3%B6sterle%5Fcave?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (ca. 35,000–32,000 ya) from Geißenklösterle cave in Germany depicts an anthropomorphic figure on one side and a sequence of notches and dots along its edges and back. Landesmuseum Württemberg/Hendrik Zwietasch Nope. The findings of a new study are even cooler than that. Researchers looked at over 3,000 engravings on 260 artifacts from the time period when the first *Homo sapiens* arrived in Europe (the Upper Paleolithic), and found that they were strikingly similar to proto-cuneiform, the precursor to cuneiform, the world’s first writing system. Some media outlets reported on this study by saying that “Stone Age symbols may push back the earliest form of writing” (*New Scientist*) or “Ancient art could hold clues to the origins of written language” (*Scientific American*). Big if true. But these headlines are misleading. In the latest issue of the *Linguistic Discovery* newsletter, we’ll look at what the new study actually found, why it doesn’t push back the date of the earliest writing by tens of thousands of years, and why the findings are actually way cooler, giving us insight into the very nature of what it is to be human. [Do these Stone Age symbols push back the origins of writing by tens of thousands of years?Nope. The real finding is even cooler.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/languages-bordered-113.png)Linguistic DiscoveryDaniel W. Hieber, Ph.D.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/cover-5.png)](https://linguisticdiscovery.com/posts/stone-age-proto-writing/) ℹ️ Note that this is a special bonus post for paid subscribers only. If you’d like to read it and are not yet a supporter, you can become one for just $10/month here: [💝 Become a supporter](#/portal/account/plans) ## 🗞️ Current Linguistics *Recently published research in linguistics.* ### Did *Homo erectus* have language? A new review article says yes ![Illustration of a prehistoric human standing inside a cave beside a small fire, holding a flaming torch, with cave walls fading into shadow behind them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/image-39.png) There’s a longstanding debate over the intellectual capabilities of *Homo erectus*, but a new review article in the journal *Biological Theory* looks at the available evidence on brain size, vocal anatomy, genetics / population genetics, and archaeology to conclude that they did indeed have a form of vocal language. [Paper Defends Spoken Language in Homo erectusThe descent of the larynx and the hyoid is among the anatomical traits appealing to research on flexibility and complexity in vocal communication.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-mm-270x270-6.png)Mind MattersCasey Luskin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/prehistoric-caveman-standing-by-a-fire-inside-a-cave-holding-1076342845-stockpack-adobe_stock-scaled.jpg)](https://mindmatters.ai/2026/02/paper-defends-spoken-language-in-homo-erectus/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - Yao & Yao. 2026\. Did *Homo erectus* have a (vocal) language? *Biological Theory*. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-025-00521-8](https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-025-00521-8?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ### Horses whinny by making sounds in a unique way that is not seen in other animals ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/image-40.png) I’m filing this one under “Phonetics”: > How horses whinny has long been a mystery. The sound is quite distinct from any other in the animal kingdom. And now scientists think they’ve discovered why: horses whinny by producing sounds at two frequencies at the same time—much like singing and whistling simultaneously. [Horses whinny by making sounds in a unique way that is not seen in other animalsThe distinctive sound horses produce when they whinny is created by combining low- and high-pitched sounds together, like grunting and whistling at the same time![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-150.ico)Scientific AmericanJackie Flynn Mogensen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/Horse-whinny.jpg)](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-horses-whinny-has-long-been-a-mystery-now-scientists-think-they-know-the/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - Lefèvre et al. 2026\. The high fundamental frequency in horse whinnies is generated by an aerodynamic whistle. *Current Biology* 36(4): 902–911.e4\. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.004](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.004?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ### Brain scans show your native language shapes the way your brain is wired ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/5c4b6826-2ac5-4e03-af05-7df5bd316825_1080x1346.webp) - [Brain scans show your native language shapes the way your brain is wired. Different languages carve distinct pathways in the brain’s white matter](https://www.instagram.com/goodneuroscience/p/DVCM4acgBHP/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) (*Good Neuroscience*) - Wei et al. 2023\. Native language differences in the structural connectome of the human brain. *NeuroImage* 270(15). DOI: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119955](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119955?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com). ## 📃 This Week’s Reads *Interesting articles I’ve come across this week.* [Why ancient Egyptians found protection through hieroglyphs — National Geographic HistoryThe Egyptians believed that hieroglyphs offered magical protection to people in this life and the afterlife, so they inscribed the signs on monuments, statues, funerary objects, and papyri.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon_v6-4.png)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/AgEXQXRxdE0xZjBRVHlXLU9KUVdQTnJfYXcAMA)](https://apple.news/AtqtM1f0QTyW-OJQWPNr%5Faw?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - How hieroglyphs became the sacred script of the ancient Egyptians: The Egyptians believed that hieroglyphs offered magical protection to people in this life and the afterlife, and inscribed the signs on monuments, statues, funerary objects, and papyri. [Does the US Have an Official Language? - Rosetta StoneDoes the US have an official language? English has recently become the official language, but learn why it hasn’t always been.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/cropped-RS-logo-19.png)Rosetta StoneJennifer Gunner![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/Shutterstock_1752804974-1.jpg)](https://blog.rosettastone.com/does-the-us-have-an-official-language/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [How Accents Change Our Perceptions Of Characters In Wuthering HeightsCultural and linguistic expert Noel Wolf explains the nuances of accents.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-new.ico)HuffPost UKSarah-Louise Kelly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/69a0291f270000041a472289.png)](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wuthering-heights-accents%5Fuk%5F69a025f9e4b0953f124404f2?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [English doesn’t need protecting in New Zealand – but other languages doThe proposed English Language Bill assumes a problem. In reality, English dominates public life while many heritage languages struggle to survive.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/web-app-logo-192x192-2d05bdd6de6328146de80245d4685946-70.png)The ConversationAndreea S. Calude![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/file-20260304-57-sw3cpq.jpg)](https://theconversation.com/english-doesnt-need-protecting-in-new-zealand-but-other-languages-do-276951?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Shifting neural code powers speech comprehensionDynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/icon/favicon-24.svg)The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and PerspectivesClaudia López Lloreda![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/thumbnail/cropped-525-social-speech-comprehension.png)](https://www.thetransmitter.org/language/shifting-neural-code-powers-speech-comprehension/?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) - Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously. ## 📚 Books & Media *New (and old) books and media touching on language and linguistics.* ### Taboos & Slurs: John McWhorter on *Words Unravelled* ### Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts of the *Words Unravelled* podcast recently did an interview with linguist John McWhorter about taboo words and slurs. It was a great interview, well worth checking out! ### The Great Vowel Shift (Rob Words) Rob Words also has an excellent overview of the Great Vowel Shift over on YouTube. ## 👋🏼 Till next week! Did you know that the English word *black* is related to the word for ‘white’ in other Indo-European languages? Starkey Comics has all the details [here](https://www.facebook.com/starkeycomics/posts/pfbid0DyXYA4QwfAKjxmEHHV1bHQ9Y2CAXgmjJULwFb9WLYtqZxgNbpzHU3Jg4sBNDRFqVl). ![Etymology flowchart showing Proto-Indo-European roots meaning “to burn” and “to shine” branching through Proto-Germanic, Proto-West-Germanic, Old English, and Middle English into modern English words like “black,” “bleak,” “bleach,” “blench,” and “blink,” alongside Old French “blanc” (white) and “blanchir” (to whiten). Caption: “The English word ‘black’ is related to several words connected with paleness.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c7/75/c775a216-7ca2-4c5f-96a7-f2defe0fd756/content/images/2026/03/image-41.png) 📚 The Amazon and Bookshop links on this site are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission from Amazon for purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you). If you’d like to support Linguistic Discovery, purchasing through these links is a great way to do so! I greatly appreciate your support! [Check out my Amazon storefront here.](https://www.amazon.com/shop/linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com) [Check out my Bookshop storefront here.](https://bookshop.org/shop/linguisticdiscovery?ref=linguisticdiscovery.com)