“Talking about the Tongue” – Part 2

Last month we discussed how the tongue, so essential for swallowing and digestion, lacks fossil evidence for gradual evolution. In this second part, we focus on the matter of vocalization. The association of the tongue with speech is so close that expressions like ‘hold your tongue’ or ‘watch your tongue’ are universally understood to relate to language. The tongue is critical for word articulation. People born without a tongue, like the boy in the picture above, can vocalize and make some sounds. But the tongue is crucial for shaping the sounds and producing consonants. Speech production also involves the larynx (or voice box) and multiple surrounding structures (pharynx, oral cavity, trachea, etc.). But even these components are only a piece of the puzzle. A brain capable of understanding language and the nerves that orchestrate the fine movement of all that biological machinery is just as critical! So this creates a further problem for the supposed evolution of the tongue. Which came first, the tongue? the voice box? or the mental & neurological components? It’s a chicken and egg problem. Vocalization is indeed a powerful and complex process, one that is closely tied to our tongues. Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Dave.