LANGUAGE

Language is a marvelous thing. Every language consists of a limited number of sound, a limited number of ways in which these sound can be combined to form words, and a limited number of rules for combining words into sentences. For example, English has about 45 sound patterns and about 30 patterns for combining these sound into sentences. Yet from these limited quantities of sound and limited number of rules and patterns for combining the sounds, a speaker of English can produse an unlimited number of sentences that will be understood by other speakers English.

The above is true all language. All language is systematic. That is, all language have an internally consistent system of rules for combining sound into speech that is comprehensible to all hose who speak the same language. There is no such thing as a primitive language, meaning an in completeof rule deficient language. A highly technological culture and a primitive culture each have a systematic, internally consistent language. Both cultures can discuss concrete things and abstract ideas. Both cultures can use their languages to gossip, to lie, to tell jokes, to tell stories, and to discuss life.

And all human beings of normal hearing and adequate intelligence learn at least one language. Babies who are born deaf and cannot hear language have trouble learning to speak. Also, some severely retarded children can fail to learn a complete language system. The rest of us, however, learn the basics of our first languages by the time we are five years old, a remarkable achievement.