THEORY: SV: THEORY: What IS language anyway?

Hi there! New on the list!

I reckon one obvious thing must be added to the model.
If brains just executed any old language-command that
reached them through the ears, their world-simulation
would pretty soon start to appear pretty messy. Lies,
fiction and mutually incommensurable statements are
obvious examples of stuff that can easily FUBAR a
world-simulation. Brains need a way of keeping tabs on
several different world-simulations, and to make
judgement about which one is most likely to be true.

Maybe all that the language-comprehension mechanism of
the brain does, is to convert language input into a
part-of-the-world-simulation, and then a
simulation management mechanism takes over and does
its best to fit the part-of-the-world-simulation into
the overall system of simulations.

/Kalle B

--- Gary Shannon <fiziwig@...> skrev:

> Here's my off-the-cuff theory:
>
> We each construct a mental model of the world. When
> we
> "remember" an event we do so by simulating a
> recurance
> of that event within our mental world model.
>
> When we wish to tell another about an event our hope
> is that the listener will be able to construct a
> simulation of that event in her own mental model of
> the world. Language, therefore, consists of a
> sequence
> of instructions for how to carry out a mental
> simulation of an event.
>
> When we say that we have "understood" your sentence,
> what we really mean is that we have succesfully
> followed your instructions and carried out a
> simulation of that event.
>
> Even conveying static information, such as "Einstein
> was a physicist." can be interpreted as a command to
> the world simulation, in this case making an
> attribute
> assignment:
>
>      Einstein.occupation = physicist;
>
> Using computer terminology, then, a "sentence" is a
> high-level command which is "compiled" (in the
> computer language sense) into a sequence of
> low-level
> commands which, when executed, cause the simulation
> to
> take place.
>
> For example: "John gave a book to Marsha." compiles
> into the command:
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=John.inventory,
>           To=Marsha.inventory,
>           Initiator=John,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>
> "Marsha took the book from John."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=John.inventory,
>           To=Marsha.inventory,
>           Initiator=Marsha,
>           Mode=unspecified
>      );
>
> "Marsha stole the book from John."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=John.inventory,
>           To=Marsha.inventory,
>           Initiator=Marsha,
>           Mode=involuntary
>      );
>
> "Marsha lost the book."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=Marsha.inventory,
>           To=lost.inventory,
>           Initiator=Marsha,
>           Mode=involuntary
>      );
>
> "John found the book."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=lost.inventory,
>           To=John.inventory,
>           Initiator=John,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>
> "John threw the book away."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=John.inventory,
>           To=discards.inventory,
>           Initiator=John,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>
> "Marsha put the book on the shelf."
>
>      Move(
>           Object=book,
>           From=Marsha.inventory,
>           To=shelf.inventory,
>           Initiator=Marsha,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>
>  "Marsha went to Chicago with John."
>
>       Move(
>           Object=Marsha,
>           From=Marsha.location,
>           To=Chicago,
>           Initiator=Marsha,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>      Move(
>           Object=John,
>           From=John.location,
>           To=Chicago,
>           Initiator=John,
>           Mode=voluntary
>      );
>      Join( John, Marsha );
>
> The key, then, to having a computer "understand"
> language is programming the computer to compile
> sentences into simulation commands and then to carry
> out the simulation in the computer's own world
> model.
>
> And the key to understanding what language is, is to
> realize that is a sequence of simulation commands
> from
> one world model to another world model.
>
> --gary
>

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