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Language

Language

Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
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Language and Cognition

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Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

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The semantic theory of language.

Marcello Barbieri¹

¹Dipartimento di Morfologia ed Embriologia, Via Fossato di Mortara 64a, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.

|January 26, 2020

Summary

The semantic view of language proposes language is primarily semantic, using codes or interpretation to derive meaning from sounds. This contrasts with the syntax view and offers a new framework for studying language origins.

Keywords:

Abduction Cultural codes Interpretation Neural codes Organic codes Origin of language Semantics Syntax Universal grammar

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Area of Science:

Linguistics
Philosophy of Language
Cognitive Science

Background:

The traditional 'code view' linked sounds and meaning.
Noam Chomsky's 'syntax view' proposed an innate language acquisition device.
Evidence for innate language mechanisms remains elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a generalized 'semantic view of language'.
To offer a new theoretical framework for the origin of language.
To explore the role of interpretation alongside coding in meaning generation.

Main Methods:

Critically analyzing the 'code view' and 'syntax view' of language.
Introducing Charles Peirce's concept of 'abduction' for interpretation.
Comparing the origin of language with the origin of life and mind.

Main Results:

Language is primarily a semantic activity, not solely syntactic.
Interpretation, via abduction, is a key process in generating meaning.
The semantic view provides a framework to study language origins without innate device assumptions.

Conclusions:

Language meaning arises from both coding and interpretation.
The origin of language can be studied comparatively with other major evolutionary transitions.
This framework offers a naturalistic approach to understanding language evolution.