Man's First Word
Encyclopedia
Man's First Word is a children's book illustrated by Carl Chaiet
and written by Lynn Kearcher which was published in 2007. The reader follows Telford, a renowned lexicographer, and Earnest, his talking bird-butler, as they travel through the Atlas Mountains
of Morocco
in search of the origin of language
.
After a trip which leads them through London
, France
, and Spain
, the trio eventually find themselves in Tangiers, where a local basketweaver suggests that they look for the broken piece in a small village in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains called Yackama. There, Earnest literally trips over what they are looking for, and they arrive at an answer to their question.
Carl Chaiet
Carl Chaiet is an American artist and illustrator.-Biography:Carl Chaiet was born in New York City, New York on January 12, 1951. He grew up in Mt. Vernon, NY and attended Mt Vernon schools. He attended Hunter College as an undergraduate, Lehman College for graduate work, and New York University...
and written by Lynn Kearcher which was published in 2007. The reader follows Telford, a renowned lexicographer, and Earnest, his talking bird-butler, as they travel through the Atlas Mountains
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in search of the origin of language
Origin of language
The origin of language is the emergence of language in the human species. This is a highly controversial topic. Empirical evidence is so limited that many regard it as unsuitable for serious scholars. In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris went so far as to ban debates on the subject...
.
Plot summary
The story begins with Telford receiving a phone call from Billiam Pinch-Penny, an anthropologist at the local museum, regarding the discovery of a tablet of stone with Hieroglyphic carvings. It is unique in the fact that the people depicted have open mouths and appear to be attempting to speak. The tablet is a slab of Iguanastone, found only in the Atlas Mountains. Earnest notes that a piece has broken off, and Telford, Earnest and Billiam pack their bags for Morocco.After a trip which leads them through London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the trio eventually find themselves in Tangiers, where a local basketweaver suggests that they look for the broken piece in a small village in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains called Yackama. There, Earnest literally trips over what they are looking for, and they arrive at an answer to their question.
Fun Facts
- The name of the authors' son, Max, can be found hidden in every illustration in the book.
- Many of the descriptions and illustrations of the exotic locales are derived from the writer's experience hitchhiking from London to Tangiers.
See also
- morphology (linguistics)Morphology (linguistics)In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
- Linguistic anthropologyLinguistic anthropologyLinguistic anthropology is the interdisciplinary study of how language influences social life. It is a branch of anthropology that originated from the endeavor to document endangered languages, and has grown over the past 100 years to encompass almost any aspect of language structure and...
- Children's literatureChildren's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...