Linguistic（语言学的）PuzzlesHowdidlanguagebegin？Whatwastheworld'sfirstlanguage？Doalllanguagescomefromone，originallanguage？（71）___．Inthe4thcenturyBC，theGreekhistorianHerodotuswrotethisa

　　Linguistic（语言学的）Puzzles

　　Howdidlanguagebegin？Whatwastheworld'sfirstlanguage？Doalllanguagescomefromone，originallanguage？（71）___．

　　Inthe4thcenturyBC，theGreekhistorianHerodotuswrotethisaccount：PsamtikIanEgyptianKing，wantedtofindoutwhattheoldestlanguageintheworldwas（72）___．．Hetoldhisservanttofindtwonewbornbabies．Whentheservanthadfoundthem，thekinggavethemtoashepherd（牧羊人）andsaid，"Keepthesebabieswiththegoats．Takecareofthem，butdonottalktothem．Listenforanywordsthattheysay．"Thekingwantedtofindoutwhatlanguagethechildrenwouldspeakiftheywereleftalone．Hesaid，"Thefirstwordstheyspeakwillcomefromtheoriginallanguageoftheworld．"

　　（73）___．Hetoldtheking．whoaskedhisscholarsaboutthisword．TheytoldhimthatthePhiygians，wholivedinanareawhichisnowTurkey，calledbread"becos．"Thekingsaid，"ThenPhiygianistheoldestlanguage．"Todayweknowthattheking'sconclusionwaswrong．Wedon'tknowwhythechildrensaid"becos"．

　　（74）___．ScholarsdiscoveredthatmanyEuropeanandsouthernAsianlanguagesbelongedtothesame"family"andthattheystartedfromthesameparentlanguage，Proto-Indo-European．Linguiststhinkthatithadsplitintoseveraldifferentlanguages，includingGreekandSanskrit，between2000and1000BC．Otherlanguages，suchasEnglishandSpanish，developedfromlatersplits．

　　（75）___．Twoquestionsthatinterestlinguistsare：Howdoeslanguagechange？Whydoeslanguagechange？Ifyoulikesolvingmysteries，historicallinguisticsmaybethejobforyou．

　　A．Nowadays，westudytheoriginoflanguagemorescientifically

　　B．Hewastalkingaboutthisproblemwithhisscholarswhenhehadanidea

　　C．TheKingwasverykindtohisservantandhisservantremainedroyaltohim

　　D．Linguistsarethescholarswhoareveryinterestedincategorizingthelanguagefamilies

　　E．Peoplehavebeentryingtofindtheanswerstothesequestionsformorethan2，000years

　　F．Oneday，whilethebabieswerebabblingtoeachother，theshepherdheardthemsay"becos"

　　G．Linguistshaveclassifiedmanylanguagefamilie