"Family"

Scientific achievement

A small family of the Human species loses its father, and for the firs time in the worlds history - a word is spoken. A young human boy no older than 16 points to everyone gathered around the dead corpse, and utters a singular, small sound... "Family".

Although grunts, sounds and symbolic hand movements had been used to convey feelings of emotion to this point, the passing of a small family's father causes a young boy's emotions to overwhelm him in a way that cannot be expressed in mere grunts. The young man proceeds to point at each member present, uncertain of quite what it was he was trying to convey, they stare directly at the young man until finally he says something. "Family", using his finger in a circular motion, he says it again "Family". The mother repeats it after him, and the next day they convey the message similarly to the rest of the species. The word "Family" is established, and the worlds first word and its meaning is invented.