The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why

by Madeleine Beekman

Overview

In a radical new story about the birth of our species, The Origin of Language argues that it was not hunting, fighting, or tool-making that forced early humans to speak, but the inescapable need to care for our children.

Journeying to the dawn of Homo sapiens, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman reveals the “happy accidents” hidden in our molecular biology—DNA, chromosomes, and proteins—that led to one of the most fateful events in the history of life on Earth: our giving birth to babies earlier in their development than our hominid cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Faced with highly dependent infants requiring years of nurturing and protection, early human communities needed to cooperate and coordinate, and it was this unprecedented need for communication that triggered the creation of human language—and changed everything.

Infused with cutting-edge science, sharp humor, and insights into the history of biology and its luminaries, Beekman weaves a narrative that’s both enlightening and entertaining. Challenging the traditional theories of male luminaries like Chomksy, Pinker, and Harari, she invites us into the intricate world of molecular biology and its ancient secrets. The Origin of Language is a tour de force by a brilliant biologist on how a culture of cooperation and care have shaped our existence.

“The Origin of Language is a tour de force. At its core it seeks to explain the origin of language. But, by linking our patterns of sociality, behavior, development, and communication it is a celebration of humanity’s origins. Reading Madeleine Beekman’s book, you will never look at babies—and their utterances—the same way ever again.” —Neil Shubin, evolutionary biologist and author of Your Inner Fish

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668066058
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.38(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Madeleine Beekman is professor emerita of evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology at the University of Sydney, Australia. In the academic year of 2020–21, Beekman was a resident fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin (Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin), which is where the idea for The Origin of Language was born. She currently lives with her husband in Australia’s northern tropical rainforest, where she can observe the endangered cassowary from her office. She has two adult daughters and a tiny granddaughter.

Editorial Reviews

A tour de force. At its core it seeks to explain the origin of language. But, by linking our patterns of sociality, behavior, development, and communication it is a celebration of humanity's origins. Reading Madeleine Beekman’s book, you will never look at babies—and their utterances—the same way ever again.
—Neil Shubin, evolutionary biologist and author of Your Inner Fish

"A rigorous examination of the evolution of human communication. Compelling, thought provoking, and hugely entertaining. I learned even as I laughed."
—Ashley Ward, biologist and author of The Social Lives of Animals and Sensational

"Beautiful, playful, and all-encompassing. Beekman elegantly delves into that most elusive and tantalizing aspect of our evolution: language. On every page there's something that makes you smile and think, 'I didn't know that!'"
—Menno Schilthuizen, author of Darwin Comes to Town

"Beekman uncovers the evolutionary mysteries behind human speech in this riveting exploration of our linguistic past. As artificial intelligence reshapes communication, understanding the deep roots of human language has never been more crucial. A must-read for anyone seeking essential insights to navigate our rapidly evolving technological future."
—Dana Suskind, author of 30 Million Words

“Writing with wit, Beekman showcases her knack for making complex ideas accessible. The result is an edifying and original foray into a critical aspect of human evolution.”
—Publishers Weekly

"An entertaining and enlightening examination of the roots of speech."
—Kirkus Reviews

"With a knack for making complex topics accessible and interesting, Beekman guides us through human evolution, with stops along the way to explain why we walk upright and why babies are cute but koalas are boring. She persuasively argues for childcare as the linchpin in the evolution of our ability to speak, and shows how language, that extraordinary human accomplishment, engages in an exquisite to-and-fro with the brain."
—Marlene Zuk, author of Paleofantasy

From the Publisher

The Origin of Language is a tour de force. At its core it seeks to explain the origin of language. But, by linking our patterns of sociality, behavior, development, and communication it is a celebration of humanity's origins. Reading Madeleine Beekman’s book, you will never look at babies—and their utterances—the same way ever again.

Neil Shubin

2025-05-02
Looking at language in a new light.

Challenging conventional theories on the origin of language, Australian scholar Beekman begins by exploring the evolution of humans, discussing the work and theories of Charles Darwin, Stephen J. Gould, and other evolutionary biologists. Of particular interest to the author is bipedalism. “It all started with walking upright,” she says. However, she contends, no longer living in trees created a “childcare problem.” The author considers other evolutionary changes, including shifts in the birth canal, increased brain size, and shorter gestation periods. The author then turns to the origin of language, calling the views of psychologist and behaviorist Burrhus Frederic Skinner and linguist Noam Chomsky “half right.” The author writes, “Our ability to speak was the result of a short series of genetic and anatomic flukes that set the stage for runaway selection.” Further, she argues, “Perhaps linguists are looking at language the wrong way.” Rather than searching for a language-acquisition device, the author proposes that language should be viewed as “more akin to a virus. A language that spreads easily from brain to brain is more likely to stick around. Because language depends on language learners—children—language must be tuned to the brain of children….If all of humanity went extinct, so would all the languages of the world. The opposite is not the case, although humanity is likely to change in the absence of language.” Interestingly, Beekman fears that modern society could hinder our acquisition of language. “The nuclear family goesagainst our nature,” she writes. “We are the most social species of all mammals….We can’t stand being alone.” If we live in isolation, she writes, “there is a danger we are losing something precious. Something uniquely human. The perfect conditions to learn language.”

An entertaining and enlightening examination of the roots of speech.

Kirkus Reviews