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Is there such a thing as a universal language?

“researchers have shown that words for small spiky objects in a variety of languages are likely to contain high-pitched sounds, while rounder shapes contain ‘ooo’ sounds, which is known as the ‘bouba/kiki’ effect.” ¹

In many languages the word for mother and father is mama and baba or papa. This is because babies can develop the muscle skill for making the “m” sound first before the more difficult plosive sounds. Because the mother is the most likely person to be close to a baby it is thought that this is both the easiest and first sound a baby learns to make. ²

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