Human diet changes influenced consonant prevalence distribution in languages

(Kazan Federal University) Labiodental sounds, such as F and V, have been known to be rarely met in hunter-gatherer languages. To understand how this has occurred, the authors undertook a massive statistical inquiry. 2,400 languages were analyzed, and a biomechanical model of mouth and lip movements was created.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news