Story: A couple of researchers in 2017 find a Neanderthal in a cage. They haven't all died out! One is still there! (In my story, that is.) Naturally, in the beginning they just stare at each others, shocked. They take him to their lab. My story takes a break between this encounter and comes back after the humans taught the Neanderthal a bit of language. But I don't want him sound like a regular being whose mother language is any language on Earth. I want him sound a bit broken but understandable. How would he talk like in your imagination? Let's say he says: "I want to move on and leave this sterile environment." Or just: "Your food taste like crap." Or: "Where can I apply for a marriage license?" I am thankful for any idea or proposal.
Scientists can't even agree on if they were capable of language in the way we are. There's one camp that says they were, and other that says their anatomy wasn't sufficient for a full spoken language. As far as I know, neither theory is commonly accepted over the other. Even if you choose the former argument, I think it's accepted that they couldn't speak with as much dexterity and flow as modern humans. Think of them as between the way a chimp 'speaks' and the way we speak. They're probably closer to the human end than the chimp end, but they're not in either camp. Their language probably wasn't stylistic, with no idioms, mostly made up of tangible objects. They probably used body language to communicate more than we do. I think 'sterile' would be a hard concept for someone who grew up in a cage to grasp. I'd think he'd spit it out and make a noise of distaste rather than vocalising it. He wouldn't have modern manners. I think he'd ask who, not where. The concept of different buildings with different functions wouldn't be familiar to him, would it? By the way, I'd totally read this. I love anything set in the Paleolithic.
It seems to be available on YouTube, but I'm unsure of the copyright status, so I'll let you find it yourself.
Neanderthals had a significantly higher voice and more nasally voice. There was every indication that simple speech evolved around homo habilis. Homo erected was thought to have simple language. Neanderthal lifestyle wasn't very complex so I see no need for further evolution so it's probably be simple. Note though that simple does not mean slow. The old caveman stereotype of a basically slow witted humanoid is completely false. They would have thought, spoken, and lived at the same pace as us, probably a little faster actually. Thought pace tends to correlate with predation and they were both faster hunters (African humans tended to simply run down our pray) and were being preyed on more easily. It's probably seem especially fast to us both because it is and because of the perception. Ever notice how foreign languages seem so much faster than your native one?
Thanks, Tenderiser, I see your points. My Neanderthal comes in contact with humans and naturally, SOME rubs off on him, after being "educated" for a while by humans. That means that he isn't original Neanderthal anymore. He isn't Shakespeare for sure but evolved from just grunting. Body language, yes, I assume that was a big part of their speech. Talking mainly objects... Needs careful wording to come across, I assume.
Thanks, Newjerseyrunner, I read this about the higher voice too. However, my Neanderthal (fantasy story) comes in contact with humans of our time. He isn't stupid. He picks up on things fast. My question is mainly what kind of speech pattern I should give him after he came in contact with modern scientists. That tip with speaking faster is great. Thanks.
That's a really interesting tidbit. Imagine the "undiscovered, unevolved" Neanderthal colony in....uhh, lower Manhattan? I dunno, but anyway, the hairy ape-men with the low foreheads and prognathous jaws all sound like Michael Jackson....
Grunts and noises for the most part I would assume. However... what if the scientists gave him a chalkboard and showed him how to draw on it? I think that could create some entertaining scenes.
One thing I learned from a research paper submitted by a student (with sources) is that Japanese (and other Asian languages) have many more pauses for acknowledgement (there's a technical word that I can't be bothered to look up right now) than European languages do. So, while someone speaking in Italian, German, or English might say: Someone speaking in Japanese or Korean (to pull two out of the air) might say: Anyway, aside from grammar, structure, and mechanics, think about how the expectations of someone removed 40k years or so might differ.
I think everyone here has the old science world view of Neanderthal - which is a bit of a joke. It's like that iconic image of evolution beginning with a crouching monkey and then ending with walking modern man. This is not true. We are cousins of the ape species, we are not directly evolved from apes. We are Homo sapiens. Chimps are chimps. Neanderthals existed the same time as Homo sapiens (as did about four other human species), and neanderthals were thought to be stronger and more community minded than the sapien race, but sapiens killed them off. They may not have been able to communicate as well as sapiens, which is how the smaller weaker sapien was able to wipe them out. But Neanderthal DNA can still be found in some homosapiens which means it wasn't all bad blood between them. And the Homo sapiens who have Neanderthal DNA are no less intelligent or less evolved.
Neanderthals and humans likely got along fine for the most part. Extinction happened slowly. DNA can get mixed in more ways than good blood though. I imagine most Neanderthal DNA ended up in our human genetics the way that Viking DNA ended up in my Scottish genes.
Neanderthals, even if in the modern world, would be restricted t very basic communication. Huh, what, you, me, who, where, that, there.... etc.
I see two issues: whether the Neanderthal brain/anatomy could manage modern speech, and whether they could learn it after reaching adulthood. My understanding-- and this could be oldish science--is that certain language capabilities must be exercised in childhood or they'll be lost.
I've heard that about feral children too, real feral children who grew up in the wild/isolated. But I don't think it tells us much about Neanderthals who were not Homo Sapiens to begin with. Like it was said above, theories abound. @Brigid: I advise research, unless you're aiming for humour.
