The monograph covers the formation of ideas related to the problem of the origin of the language; ancient theories rooted in mythological ideas are considered, the transition from antiquity to the teachings of the New Age is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the work of the second half of the 18th century; distinctive features of national European traditions are revealed; philosophical aspects of modern theories of glottogenesis are considered; on the basis of a dialectical-materialistic approach, the problems of presenting the subject of research are analyzed and the original interpretation of the principle of arbitrariness of a language sign is put forward.