Having learnt three different languages on three different
points in my life has taught me but one thing only. The way humans construct
languages is brimming with flaws and imperfections. Take for example this
sentence “I am having dinner”. What if this 6 syllable sound was reduced to
only 1 syllable like “lik”. Now every time anyone says “Lik” we know that person
is having dinner. Take another sample sentence like “the dinner is delicious”.
Let us use the monosyllabic “Rut” to mean this.
What if we could construct a whole language like that.
Virtually all the sentences that one can construct in a language will be coded
with a single syllabic sound. I concede that it will drastically increase the
number of words in the dictionary of this language and non-native speakers will
find learning this language more difficult than learning German but just
imagine the increase in the velocity of communication between people. Things
like “Do you like it?” will be replaced with “Nak” and thats it. The point if across.
However, I wonder what effect having such a language will have on the culture of the human
civilization. Would conversations be shorter? Would we speak less? Would people
have thoughts that they don’t have words for? How would poetry in such a
language flourish, if at all. How would that language evolve? Would there be
slang in it? How about curse words? Or would it be just too hard to learn.
After all there can be virtually an infinite number of sentences in a language. Could we ever run out of syllables? We could start using two syllables then. But how do I know that isn't the way our current languages started. These questions can only be answered if such a language were to exist.
But for now, let us put this theory into test and see if the reader
understands this piece of communication.
“Lik”
“Nak?”
“Rut”.
Sherry, I think when man first learned to communicate, he was saying 'Lik' 'Nak' n 'Rut' :-) but over thousands of years human beings have learned to communicate more complex ideas as they progressed. How would you explain to someone the composition of our Universe or when you like to talk about Astronomy? Your favorite subject :-) Do you think those abbreviations would suffice?
ReplyDeleteOn the languages, je mehr Sprachen du kennst desto besser due die Menschen, die Welt verstehst und deine Gedanken erweiterst. Es kann sein dass du eine Idee viel besser auf eine Sprache verstehen and erklaren kannst als die andere, weil die andere Sprache fehlt die ausriechende Worter order Ausdrucke die du dafur brauchst.
If you have to explain to someone 'Astronomy' in Punjabi, you will definitely be struggling even those who speak really really good Punjabi. and then If you have to explain that how LIGO has now been able to confirm Einsteins theory of relativity in Urdu, you will be struggling. Why would that be happening, because these languages (or the extent to which we know) are 'Lik' Nak and Rut im vergleich zu Deutsch Englisch und viele andere Sprachen :-)
Danke fur deine Commentare
ReplyDeleteIch glaube dass du eine sehr gute punkte gemacht hast. aber was ich sagen wollte war ein bishen anders. Unsere sprachen wie Urdu und Punjabi and deine Sprache Hindko :p sind nicht in wissenshafliche bezirk benutz. Deshalb haben wir gar kein worte mit wem wir ueber astronomie reden kann. Aber andere Sprachen zum beispiel Deuetch sind besser. Zwei deutchten manner kann ueber Astronomie auf Deutsh reden mit flussigkeit aber zwei Pakitanische manner konnen auf Urdu dass nicht machen.
Aber ich bin sehr froh dass du meine Blog gelesen hast. und ich hoffe alles bei dir in ordnung bist. :)