Re: Defining "Language"

Den 18. jul. 2007 kl. 15.00 skrev John Crowe:
>
> 1 a : the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining
> them used and understood by a community b  (1) : audible,
> articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal
> organs  (2) : a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings
> by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks
> having understood meanings  (3) : the suggestion by objects,
> actions, or conditions of associated ideas or feelings <language in
> their very gesture -- Shakespeare>  (4) : the means by which
> animals communicate  (5) : a formal system of signs and symbols (as
> FORTRAN or a calculus in logic) including rules for the formation
> and transformation of
> admissible expressions  (6) :
>
> a system of communication with its own set of conventions or
> special words
>
> a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or
> conventional symbols
When defining something I prefer concentrating on something that's
characteristic, essential and unique for the thing. So from these
choices I would vote for alternatives 2 or 5. But perhaps even better
a definition that is rather more simple: Means for symbolic
communication. That gives you 'language' in a very broad sense. And
of course you can get narrower ones by refining it.

LEF