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Names are unique identification which we give to everything we come across. We are not able to use any other unique identification methods which can be easily picked up by our brain. I can tell from experience that the names given to everything is very unique and most have some chemical triggered in somebody's brain.
Suppose we start right at the beginning. When the language was spoken and not written, and even the spoken language might not be more than guttural sounds. If the first humans started out at a single place, then what would they name their belongings?? They will name their place something which they might easily identify with and the rest will be plain “do not go” land. What might be the first language spoken? I do not know because I am not a linguist. Then the “do not go” land will have some curious tom seek out its wonders. He will name the parts he came through with his first exclamations and sighs. There will be signs of his moods throughout his naming process. This will be intertwined with the strength of his position in his small clan. Now obvious matter to be noted is that, the more curious and more strong the person is, there is larger chance of his position to be of higher order in the clan. Now the person has to be strong to survive to tell the story.
Thus, names were made for places and animals and other things until humans discovered science. Science of language – for they found it to be a larger place than they had imagined. Now it was time to explore...and spread out...and live to be a different race.
From first names of places, came different names for things which were offspring of the same place. Etymology is a different ball game. It finds the root of the word's origin but does it go into the root of the origin. I would like to know...so many questions are unanswered and such little time.