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Because languages gradually lose phoenetic features over time. Phonetic diversity is a primary method for determining the age of a language. Hawaiian is a recen

Because languages gradually lose phoenetic features over time. Phonetic diversity is a primary method for determining the age of a language. Hawaiian is a recent language with just 8 consonants and !Kung is ancient with over 50 consonants. The same phenomenon occurs with DNA diversity. Here is an article with explanation: https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/bad-linguistics/phonemic-diversity-prove-africa-theory.html https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/bad-linguistics/phonemi...

rvense 5y ago
> Because languages gradually lose phoenetic features over time I don't think this is accurate. While it certainly does happen, new phonemic distinctions can certainly arise as languages change. The article you link to does not support the idea either, in fact it explicitly contradicts it: "Moreover, there is no bias towards decreasing the size of phonemic inventory over time as human populations moved out of Africa, as phonemes may be added as well as eliminated."