language beginnings

What did you say? And what did you mean by it?

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Advocate
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language beginnings

Post by Advocate »

I'm looking for a good book about the invention of language, not the history or progression of language. Is there such a thing? Even a speculative novel would do if it was well-written and examines the various ways it could have happened. How did opposable thumbs lead to symbols which lead to verbal correlates which led to langauge? ..that sort of thing.

I mean, for example: "Everything changed the day Ugg put that rock in the shape he had drawn, and it fit perfectly. From that day forward, we knew when he drew a rectangle, that meant a rock that could be used to cut things. Nevermind that we didn't know what rectangles, axes, or symbols were.. yet."
Impenitent
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Re: language beginnings

Post by Impenitent »

https://monoskop.org/images/b/b3/Eco_Um ... e_1986.pdf

Umberto has written tons on the subject

-Imp
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Agent Smith
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Re: language beginnings

Post by Agent Smith »

He was curious, definitely, morbidly, curious. He ran 3 blocks, down 7th street, up 10 flights of stairs, through long, long corridors. Panting, sweating, heaving, huffing, puffing, he reached the green door with the gold knob. An image flashed through his mind - the pen, the black pen, next to it the doll, the doll with the missing eye, under it half of two-fifths of cold steel.
Walker
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Re: language beginnings

Post by Walker »

There’s scientific speculation that human language came from the birds of ancient India.

The story of India (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Ipx2T7VlQ
From 4:40 to 7:10
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Agent Smith
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Re: language beginnings

Post by Agent Smith »

"What're you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to swat this pesky fly!!"

"Oops! Wrong question!"

"There! No more bzzzz ... bzzzz ... from you, you, you fiend!!"

"Is it dead?"

"It's ... what do you mean 'wrong question'?"

"Yes, it's quite dead, deceased, passed on it has, left for its heavenly abode, crossed the Styx, bought the farm, kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies ..."

"What?!"

"Musca mortuus est."

"What?!"

"It's bzzzz bzzz days are over!"

"Haha! bzzz ... bzzz ... thwack!"

"Thwack ... woof woof ... tingaling ... thump ... rrrrrrrr ... click ... kaboom!! Haha!"
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