Proto-language

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Proto-language may refer to either:

a language that preceded a certain set of given languages, or
a system of communication during a stage in glottogony that may not yet be properly called a language.

Languages inferred from other languages

A relative proto-language is a language that reflects an earlier state in a language family. The German term Ursprache (derived from the prefix Ur- and sprache "language") is occasionally used as well.

In most cases, this proto-language is not known and it has to be reconstructed by comparing different members of the language family for which records are available. Examples are Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Bantu. Sometimes, however, the proto-language is a language which is known from inscriptions, an example being the Proto-Norse language. The Proto-World language is a theoretical language which would have to be the proto-language from which all the languages were derived.

A communication mode less complete than true language

An absolute proto-language, as defined by linguist Derek Bickerton, is a primitive form of communication lacking:

a fully-developed syntax
tense, aspect, auxiliary verbs, etc.
a closed (i.e. non-lexical) vocabulary

The "me Tarzan, you Jane" nature of proto-language in this last sense is evident in pidgins, some features of early childhood language, and the language of adults who were deprived of language during the critical period (such as the feral child Genie). Derek Bickerton suggests language evolved from this kind of proto-language in a linguistic 'big bang'. But see also Terrence Deacon's arguments in his book The Symbolic Species for a radically different point of view.

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