(Y.1) Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of
humans is the extensive use of language as a means of passing knowledge
and ideas among each other. Other animals, of course, use language
for which bees are a prime example of the use of a nonverbal body language but
human uniquely uses words both written (visual) and verbal (auditory) to
communicate identical meaning. Further, we augment written and auditory language
with body language (actions) for which even dogs understands the
meaning, perhaps even better than humans.
(Y.2) It is held that spoken language first evolved around
50,000 to 150,000 years ago, which is around the time when modern Homo
sapiens evolved, but is not full substantiated with empirical evidence. We have
no sound recording dating back to that time period and any number of theories
has been advanced. The only certainty is that spoken language proceeded
written. Further is almost certain that human languages began
with sounds, followed by pictographs which evolved into symbols representing
specific sounds used to form words. Language is not a fundamental
aspect of nature.
(Y.3) Modern written language is the representation of a
spoken language by means of a writing system. Written language
is a human invention in that it must be taught to
children, who have learned spoken language by exposure and usage even if
they are not formally instructed. Written language
first appeared over 3000 years ago in
(Y.4) Language is notoriously poor at communicating
subjective meaning for emotions like anger or love, sensations
like consciousness and qualia and experiences
like the aesthetics of a beautiful sunset, but is quite good at communicating
objective meanings for material things like apples,
oranges and pears and actions like writing or running.
(Y.5) Humans use language to construct an
abstraction of actions we call behavior.
Many of these actions are codify as moral conduct and
include both religious canon like the Jewish Talmud, Islamic
Quran, and Hindu Nitisastra. Others codify social conduct
and include the Code of Hammurabi, the Constitution of the United States of America,
the Communist Manifesto, 25 Points Program of the NSDAP, the Al-Qaeda Manifest
and English Common Law (including legal contracts). It is these linguistic
codes of social conduct that enhance human coexistence in
the various societies. No universal moral or social codes
of conduct exist and not all in a given society agree
with some or all of the codes of conduct prevalent in their
society. Therefore, no code of conduct is universal and must be
enforced by either dictated or majority rule, wherein they gain their power of
enforcement by agents of authority over everyone in that society.
Either moral codes of conduct or social codes of
conduct can dominate in any given society but combination
of both in any one society gives rise to social discord and can
result in the collapse of that society.
(Y.6) Instinctual and unconscious actions
supersede all moral and social codes of
conduct.
(Y.7) The creation of strong emotions using language
often overpowers moral and social codes of conduct. As an
example, emotional speech often incites unlawful riots. Likewise, the
creation of emotions using language can result in changes in moral
and social codes of conduct of a society whether the
changes are rational or not. As an example, the aim of emotional
political speech is often intended to result in changes in moral and
social codes of conduct.
(Y.8) Language itself is a phenomenon of the mind that
conveys meaning by means of the use of the material
tools of both spoken and written language which, of course,
include the words used. The transference meaning is fraught with
error resulting in miscommunication and false knowledge.
Body language uses the material
tools of bodily actions of expressions to convey meaning.
Language itself is a bottle filled with words used in
that language in an attempt to symbolically convey meaning can
be put in a dictionary. Unfortunately, a dictionary results in a never
ending circle of words chasing words for meaning.
Mathematics is a form of language that is also used to symbolically convey meaning.
Further both verbal language and mathematical language can be used to symbolically convey meaning
to the entity or action. Einstein's famous equation E = MC2 mathematically coveys
to relationship between what the words "energy", "mass", and "velocity". Yet this is an example language chasing its tail
both verbally and mathemtically because neither informs us of what "energy", "mass", and "velocity" are in reality.
We can only take them to mean the existence of "energy", "mass", and "velocity".
coveys the knowledge that mass and energy are interchangeable which is what happens in a nuclear
power plant or bomb.
(Y.9) Language attempts to convey information and
knowledge between two or more living entities by material
methods of representation through speech, writing, touch (Braille), sign
language, bodily expressions, etc. Language has enabled the
development of the human brain and use of information and
knowledge to exceed that of all other species of animals.
(Y.10) Regardless of method of communication or language system,
all language is processed in the language center of the brain
as a mental process of the material brain.
(Y) Language enables the exchange of information and knowledge between biological entitles. Spoken and written language attempts to convey the meaning of words but misunderstanding is common. Yet language has enable humans to acquire and use information and knowledge more so than any other animal.