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From:
Charles Butler Date: Mon May 25, 1998 10:41 am Subject: Re: Younger Language? | |
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The Watsons wrote: > > Erin Wilkinson wrote: > > >According to Birketon, he said that language was intended to represent > >the symbolic images in our minds, then the second level in the process > >of language's function is to stimulate communication. > > > Yes, I understand this hypothesis. > > >I think Dan(?) Birketon's point is very interesting because he > >argues that humans symbolize everything (like metalanguage) before > >the physical and more concrete forms develop which reflects upon > >our communication systems. > > And I get this bit too. > > > So, hymophonys probably are the results > >of major and massive fusion of morphological and phonological changes, > >but the bottom line according to Birketon's Roots of Language, it does > >not matter because we still can separate them among our ability to > >symbolize and distinguish them. > > But I've read and re-read this bit and I'm afraid I still don't know what it > means. I'm interested now, and I don't wish to be rude (but I shall be anyway), > but could someone please explain this in English?! (I am not conversant in > linguistese) > > > > Thanks. > > Shiona M Watson > > Acton, Ontario I believe the word he means is "homophones" which are words which are spelled the same but mean entirely different things such as "bear" for the hairy animal, and "bear" for the act of carrying. They come from entirely different roots, are "spelled" the same, but we carry their meaning in different contexts. |
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