word salad – nickname for dysphasia

warning. this is a linguistics entry.
if you just want to read the conclusion, read the 2nd to last paragraph

I wrote a comment on steven’s blog about the difference between converse and conversate, and it made me miss studying linguistics so much I decided to write about it. =)

Language is an AMAZING skill. It is incredibly complex with all of its intricate components working together to communicate. The different basic components are phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. All languages are built on these elements.

Let me show you a glimpse of how much goes into the language that we use. (i’m really just SKIMMING the surface here). Here is a fundamental phonology problem that we learn on the first day of lign 101 or phonology.
First, put your finger(s) on your throat while pronouncing ‘t’ and ‘d’ (don’t say “ti” just make the ‘t’ sound, same with ‘d’). The only difference between these two phonemes (distinct units of sound) is that one is voiceless and the other is voiced. Notice that when you pronounced ‘t’ you felt no vibration (that means it is voiceless), but when you pronounced ‘d’ you felt vibration (that means it is voiced).
The same goes for ‘p’ vs ‘b’ and ‘k’ vs ‘g’. The only difference is voicing.
Now. Pronounce the plural for ‘cat,’ and the plural for ‘cod.’ you pronounced “cats” as “catS” and “cods” as “codZ.” Any noun ending in a voiceless consonant you will pluralize with ’s’ and any noun ending in a voiced consonant, you will pluralize with ‘z.’ The only difference between ’s’ and ‘z’ is voicing: ’s’ is voiceless, ‘z’ is voiced. (This is a very simple explanation, there’s a little more involved, but i won’t go into it.)

The point of the above, very long, and boring (for some of you) explanation, was to demonstrate to you that there it is a very intricate and complex this you do everytime you speak. You are not even aware of everything your brain processes, limits, interprets; you never have to think “this word ends with a voiceless consonant so i must use the voiceless phoneme for the plural of it.” You probably didn’t even know about voicing! But still, you effortlessly and elegantly produce the sounds of your language. (Nevermind how well you string the words together, that’s another long boring (for you, not for me) paragraph.)

The thing I learned most from linguistics is how finite, how created I am. Language has got to be one of the most creative creations. It HAD to have had a GENIUS creator, and that genius creator not only created one language but several thousands (sorry, i can’t find a number). Computer don’t consciously process the programs they use, they just do what they were programmed to do. Now, humans are definitely more than computers, but it’s truly humbling to realize that we know only limitedly, something we think we have command over. Linguists have poured over languages trying to solve the puzzles of each of them. Some “programs” are so complex and multi-faceted that they can only take a stab at what’s going on, yet our brains use these “programs” effortlessly, and unconsciously to produce language.

“…that which is known about God is evident withing them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Romans 1:19-20

Soli Deo Gloria, even in academia.