Language is one of the most defining features of humanity. It allows us to share ideas, create culture, and pass down knowledge across generations. But when did human language, as we know it today, first emerge? For years, scholars have debated this question using various forms of evidence—from fossils to cultural artifacts. Now, a new genomic study suggests that the cognitive capacity for language was present at least 135,000 years ago and that it may have entered social use around 100,000 years ago.
This discovery offers fresh insights into the timeline of language evolution, drawing from genetic studies that trace early human migrations. If all languages today share a common origin, as some researchers strongly believe, then understanding when humans began splitting into regional populations can provide clues about when language first developed.
A New Approach: Tracing Language Through Genetics
Homo sapiens—our species—originated around 230,000 years ago. However, pinpointing the birth of language is tricky because words do not fossilize. Instead, scientists have relied on indirect evidence such as tool-making, symbolic behavior, and brain size. The latest study, however, takes a genetic approach.
Led by MIT professor Shigeru Miyagawa and colleagues from the American Museum of Natural History, the study suggests that human language predates the first major genetic divergence of Homo sapiens. This divergence, which occurred around 135,000 years ago, represents the moment when early human groups began spreading geographically. If every population that branched off had language, then it must have existed before this point.
“The logic is very simple,” says Miyagawa. “Every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related. Since genetic data suggest the first split occurred about 135,000 years ago, language capacity must have been present by then.”
The findings were published in Frontiers in Psychology under the title “Linguistic Capacity Was Present in the Homo sapiens Population 135 Thousand Years Ago.”
Evidence From Genetic Studies
The study analyzed 15 major genetic studies conducted over the past 18 years. These studies examined:
- Y chromosome data (inherited through male lineage)
- Mitochondrial DNA (passed down through the maternal line)
- Whole-genome analysis
Together, these genetic studies suggest that early humans began splitting into regional groups around 135,000 years ago. This means that before that time, Homo sapiens existed as a single, undivided population. Given that all modern human groups have language, this strongly implies that linguistic ability was already in place before the split.
While an earlier study in 2017 proposed a similar idea, it was based on fewer genetic studies. The recent meta-analysis benefits from a larger and higher-quality dataset, making the estimate of 135,000 years ago more reliable.
“Quantity-wise, we now have more studies, and quality-wise, we have a narrower time window,” explains Miyagawa.
Why Is This Discovery Important?
One of the longest-standing debates in linguistics is whether all human languages share a common origin. If the conclusions of this study are correct, it supports the idea that language developed once in human history and spread along with migrating populations.
Miyagawa himself has long argued that human languages are all related. In his 2010 book “Why Agree? Why Move?”, he explored deep similarities between English, Japanese, and Bantu languages. Today, over 7,000 languages exist worldwide, but if they all trace back to a single origin, their earliest roots may stretch at least 135,000 years into the past.
How Is Human Language Unique?
Some researchers have argued that language—or at least its precursors—could date back millions of years, based on primate communication. However, Miyagawa and his team emphasize a key distinction:
- Many primates can vocalize and communicate with sounds.
- But human language is fundamentally different because it combines words and syntax into an infinitely creative system.
“No other animal has a parallel structure in their communication system,” says Miyagawa. “This is what allows us to generate complex thoughts and share them with others.”
This means that even though early hominins might have been capable of producing sounds, they lacked the cognitive framework to organize those sounds into a true language system.
When Did Humans Start Using Language for Communication?
If language ability existed 135,000 years ago, when did humans start actively using it in their daily lives?
The archaeological record suggests that around 100,000 years ago, there was a sudden burst of symbolic behavior. This includes:
- Meaningful markings on objects
- Use of ocher (a red pigment) for decoration
- Advanced tool-making techniques
These behaviors indicate abstract thinking, which is closely linked to language. Miyagawa believes that language was the key trigger for this explosion of symbolic activities.
“Language was the trigger for modern human behavior,” he explains. “Somehow, it stimulated human thinking and helped create these behaviors. If we’re right, language allowed people to learn from each other and innovate in ways we hadn’t seen before.”
Did Language Evolve Gradually or Suddenly?
Not all scientists agree with Miyagawa’s theory. Some believe that language emerged gradually, alongside tool use, social coordination, and material culture. According to this view, language was not the sole trigger but rather one element in a broader set of cognitive advancements.
Still, Miyagawa believes that empirical, genetics-based studies like this one are a crucial step in uncovering language’s true origins.
“Our approach is very empirical, grounded in the latest genetic understanding of early Homo sapiens,” he says. “I think we are on a strong research path, and I hope this will encourage further investigation into language evolution.”
What This Means for the Future of Language Research
The study presents a compelling case that modern human language was present at least 135,000 years ago, and that it played a central role in shaping our species’ evolution.
However, many mysteries remain:
- How did language first develop?
- What did the earliest languages sound like?
- How did early humans use language to structure their societies?
Future research, combining genetics, archaeology, and linguistics, may help answer these questions. As our understanding of early human history deepens, so too does our appreciation for the remarkable origins of language—the foundation of all human culture, science, and storytelling.
Conclusion
The search for the origins of human language is far from over, but the new genomic evidence offers a compelling timeline:
- At least 135,000 years ago → Humans already had the cognitive ability for language.
- Around 100,000 years ago → Language became widely used, fueling symbolic thought and cultural evolution.
Language is what makes us uniquely human. And as science continues to unravel its ancient past, we may yet uncover the first true words ever spoken—echoes from our distant ancestors, shaping the world we live in today.
Reference: Shigeru Miyagawa et al, Linguistic capacity was present in the Homo sapiens population 135 thousand years ago, Frontiers in Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1503900