Editing Origin of language (section)

=== Historical experiments ===
{{Main|Language deprivation experiments}}
History contains a number of anecdotes about people who attempted to discover the origin of language by experiment. The first such tale was told by [[Herodotus]] (''[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]]'' 2.2). He relates that Pharaoh Psammetichus (probably [[Psammetichus I]], 7th century BC) had two children raised by a shepherd, with the instructions that no one should speak to them, but that the shepherd should feed and care for them while listening to determine their first words. When one of the children cried "bekos" with outstretched arms the shepherd concluded that the word was [[Phrygian language|Phrygian]], because that was the sound of the Phrygian word for 'bread'. From this, Psammetichus concluded that the first language was Phrygian. King [[James IV of Scotland]] is said to have tried a similar experiment; his children were supposed to have spoken [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lindsay |first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AKUvAAAAMAAJ |title=The history of Scotland: from 21 February 1436. to March, 1565. In which are contained accounts of many remarkable passages altogether differing from our other historians; and many facts are related, either concealed by some, or omitted by others |publisher=Baskett & Co. |year=1728 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_AKUvAAAAMAAJ/page/n125 104]}}</ref>

Both the medieval monarch [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] and [[Akbar]] are said to have tried similar experiments; the children involved in these experiments did not speak. The current situation of [[deaf]] people also points into this direction.{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}