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Linguistic Law
A good language should allow its speaker learn less and know more

Linguistic Law

Cheng-Zhong Su

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Posted 08/30/08 - 01:49 PM: Subject: Linguistic Law	#1
Definition of sounds Speaking language can be regarded as serial segments of human voice. If you want the listener to catch them clearly, every segment should be last at least 0.25 second. Under our linguistics term, these segments have to include one vowel, one tone or one consonant, one vowel and one tone. Definition of meaning Nowadays, every language contains roughly 3,000 to 5,000 basic meanings. We may call those basic meanings as semanteme or semantic primitive. No matter how many words a language have got, all of them were come from those semanteme. Law 1. Every meaning can be expressed by a single sound or sound’s combination. It is according how many different sounds that language got. A language have got more different sounds, it can employ more single sounds to express the basic meanings or semantic primitives without using their combinations. According the computer theory, a language has got only two different sounds as A and B can still express the world very well but the expressing speed should be very slow. As our thinking is in fact a sort of speaking in mind and each meaning is cohered with one or few sounds, so the faster expressing by sound, means faster thinking. Law 2. The motivity of inventing so many synthetic words is to reduce the frequent of oral actions. Yet each synthetic words cost us a lot of time to learn to remember. So in every language it is a balance between synthetic words and analytic words or compound words. Synthetic words represent easy to pronounce, while analytic words and compound words represent easy to remember to learn. Synthetic words will never as clear as analytic words, for analytic words are in fact the explanation of synthetic words. When you find a synthetic word from you memory, some explanation may lose. Yet analytic word is explanation by it self. Law 3. In a language, the balance could be interrupted by changing the number of different sounds. Until now, all the languages of the world are discovering more sounds gradually. Once a new sound was used in a language, that means to say, another basic meaning or semantic primitive could be represented by a single sound. The result could be a chain reaction of a lot of analytic words and compound words. Yet every new sound required the speaking to develop both of their oral and aural ability that means to say, we developed our sense in order to exchange an easy to learn and clearer language.

Kelby
Cognitive Philosopher

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Posted 08/30/08 - 02:43 PM:	#2
k...is there a question or are you just imparting your knowledge? This is a philosophy forum and we tend to like discussion. We shy away from those who just profess and give us nothing to work with.
Embodied Cognition: http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/embodcog.htm#H2

Cheng-Zhong Su

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Aug 30, 2008
Total Topics: 1
Total Posts: 49

Posted 09/05/08 - 01:18 PM:	#3
Thank you Kelby for answer my post. First of all, I think everybody come here should impart some knowledge for the members to discuss. Secondly, I can come here only weekly and I think a topic of philosophy required the members to think about a while before continuing the discussion.

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