Why do some languages sound similar?

Christiansen is not sure why so many words sound the same in so many languages. One theory says that globalisation allows words to be transferred from one language into another and blurs the boundaries between them. Words do not just sound similar because they are loaned from or inspired by other languages, he says.

What is the African word for mother?

mama, noun, pl. bamama = mom, mother, Mrs.

Do all languages have the same sounds?

Most Languages Use the Same Sounds for Certain Words, Study Finds. As different as the world’s languages may seem to the untrained ear, some concepts share the same sounds even in languages that are completely unrelated, a new study finds. Body parts also had strong relationships to certain sounds.

Why do ‘mom’ and ‘Dad’ sound so similar?

In “Why ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ Sound So Similar in So Many Languages,” linguist John McWhorter describes the sound dada as one that is almost as easy as mama to make. It’s a sound “that involves a little more than just putting their lips together—namely, putting them together, holding them that way for a second, and then blowing out a puff of air.”

Is the word “father” similar to “mother”?

Except some. The word for “mother” seems often either to be mama or have a nasal sound similar to m, like nana. The word for “father” seems often either to be papa or have a sound similar to p, like b, in it—such that you get something like baba.

How do you say father in different languages?

The word for “father” seems often either to be papa or have a sound similar to p, like b, in it—such that you get something like baba. The word for “dad” may also have either d or t, which is a variation on saying d, just as p is on b. People say mama or nana, and then papa, baba, dada, or tata, worldwide.

Why do babies say “Ma” and “Mah”?

Once babies start saying “ma,” they soon start saying “pa” and “da.” Moreover, “mah” is associated with the murmuring sound a baby makes when it’s breastfeeding. Jakobson wrote: