Did climate/surroundings play a role in how languages were initially developed?

Question

Did local temperature, altitude, terrain, and other physical attributes of a country directly influence the initial development of its native language? Also, does this theory of mine explain why dialects exists within a language? Lastly, does two nationalities speaking two different languages have similar phonetics based on the physiological effects of the mouth and face forced by their common surroundings/climates?

Answer 1

Climate and surroundings had tons to do with the vocabulary, of course. If you look at Spanish, for example, many words pertaining to geographic features or animals in South America come from the native languages. That's simply a consequence of the fact that there weren't such animals in Spain.

As for climate. . .interesting. I can see it going in both ways. First, colder climates might have necessitated that people communicate more in order to survive - building huts, exchanging goods, etc. However, warmer climates may have facilitated communication in that it was easier to visit neighbors, necessitating acceptable language interaction.

Dialects of a language come from the fact that somewhat isolated populations of people tend to develop certain sayings or different pronunciations. Again, in Spanish, some people have a slight lisp (el ceceo) - common in Andalusia. However, this lisp is looked down upon in other areas. Why? Same reason that populations of animals have slightly different characteristics: lack of constant interaction. Also, it could be that different local geography or climate made them find particular phrases more useful or common than others, and that these were subject to dialectization more than other words.

As for physiology and physical features with regards to phonetics and pronunciation. . . that seems like a stretch, though an interesting one. However, people can learn to speak with different accents and in different languages. That means we're not incapable of speaking these languages, but it still doesn't mean that physiology didn't play a role. Also, people's mouths and cranial structures don't seem to differ a whole lot, unless you have a harelip or something. Lips are powerful muscles that can shape themselves into numerous positions - seems to be a case against physiology.

More than likely, the social structure is what influenced the sounds of different languages. People decided as a group, yet unconsciously, which tones and sounds were more acceptable.

Another thought: maybe the sounds that animals made influenced languages. There's a language in Africa that consists of clicks and such - can't remember the name - but maybe that was an imitation of some creatures.

Cool question.

Answer 2

Interesting question....

It did influence it a bit no doubt but I think the influence was less direct and more indirect. Culture, religion and outside influences have had more direct say.

Dialects exist more do to a language spreading or being adopted in regions that had another language prior and as such their is at some level a "melding" or even invention of things, but this is limited of course,

Similar phonetics could be explained by a common language at the root.

Nationalities really don't matter as much now a days with the shuffle among borders, and immigration...but I see what your saying. Again I feel that might have more to with outside influence than anything else. Take for example India and Pakistan, where the nationalities are different, but language the same, on the layman's level. After that they get very much different but their are similar phonetics, which is the case with most languages due to the roots and the influence

Answer 3

I could say it does outcome it. If you don't have a phrase for an concept (or choice of phrases), you don't have any approach of expressing it, and obviously you are not able to fully grasp what it's. However, it's the atmosphere that results proposal far more than language, so whilst you say "pics", no longer most effective that however communique (inside your possess language simply to varify that). Learning a brand new language, and information the language so good you'll be able to suppose by way of that language, you are going to see the way it results proposal.