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Language is often misunderstood to be a mere subject in thought; Language is that which encompasses all subjects, the power that is thought itself.
I seek approbation, disapprobation.
Last edited by Bohemian_Cur; 06/07/07 07:00 AM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Welcome, BC (sorry--let me know if the shortening bothers you). Um--does a mere subject in thought have anything to do with Logwood's mentalese?
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Please, call me Kemp. No. What I meant to express is, as some rightfully consider English01 to be a subject in, say, a school, some wrongfully consider Language to be a subject in thought, as science or poetry is. Language, I defend, is not a subject, but the facility that gives thought—that which encompasses all subjects.
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You remind me of Benjamin Lee Whorf, whom I still consider a great linguist. He believed language determined thought, as well as thought effecting language. If you get a chance to read "Language, Thought, and Reality," I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
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If that is a compliment, I thank you. Former teachers tell me that I am a purist, a pedant, one who deals with language too seriously. I disagree: language cannot be dealt with too seriously; the more diligently one deals with language, the more defined they will become. I will find the book and peruse it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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a purist? Oh, Dear! you might not be happy here.
this is like a sausage factory! we take language seriously, but we aren't purist.
there are some who shudder at nouns becoming verbs, and verbs becoming nouns.. and others who demonstrate that the particular noun or verb was first misused 200 or 300 years ago (and while it might be abdominable.. it's not new.)
Do we need words to think? i say no. but words and language allow us to share thoughts. newborn infants are able to express displeasure. but how much easier life is when, beignning age 2 or so, they can tell you what is wrong!
welcome Kemp and Nanu*2
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Carpal Tunnel
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Language is often misunderstood to be a mere subject in thought; Language is that which encompasses all subjects, the power that is thought itself.
I seek approbation, disapprobation. Certainly an interesting proposition. Here's a comment on this subject from Language Log. Warning a somewhat longish download, particularly for those of us poor souls with dialup, but well worth the wait.
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enthusiast
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Speaking of Benjamin Lee Whorf, I mentioned the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis on my last thread. I say, while there may be some truth in it, people do have a way of oversimplifying life, or the human mind...
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Do you think that all languages embody full communication? Or that all languages combined convery mastery of all concepts?
The problem is that not all concepts translate well from a specific language to another specific language. The words, the grammar, the structure, etc are tools used to convery concepts, but some which are not identified by word (either spoken or written). Within a given language group (ie, English) there are so many variations (color vrs colour, as a simple example) that to identify any single language as all encompassing. I can visualize things which I can not adequately describe to share...Language fails on many levels, no matter the mastery.
tempus edax rerum
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