Re: Language comparison

Quoting "J. 'Mach' Wust" <j_mach_wust@...>:

> >> However, there's no such directionality in the evolution of language.
> >
> >Does that mean you believe the current (~1 bit per character IIRC)
> >amount of density is the maximum feasible?
>
> Language has no characters, only written language has. And it has definitly
> no bits.
That might require some qualification, since language, practically by
definition, conveys information, and information is what is measured in bits.

I don't really see how anyone could arrive at "~1 bit per character", tho,
assuming that 'character' corresponds to 'phoneme'; even in an ultra-simple
phonology with rigid CV syllable structure, eight consonants and four vowels
(making for 32 distinct syllables; less than Rotokas's inventory), you'd need a
minimum of 2.5 bits per 'character' just to specify the sequence of segmental
phonemes.

                                                        Andreas

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