Psycholinguistics.

[Sammy-San]

The fact that certain sounds together are understandable. Language itself is one of life's great mysteries to me. Do you think there is a clear explanation for this?

Psycholinguistics - Wikipedia

 

[Ken Rank]

The fact that certain sounds together are understandable. Language itself is one of life's great mysteries to me. Do you think there is a clear explanation for this?

Psycholinguistics - Wikipedia

Clear explanation for what? Can you restate your question?

 

[Sammy-San]

Clear explanation for what? Can you restate your question?

Psycholinguistics - Wikipedia

• Phonetics and phonology are concerned with the study of speech sounds. Within psycholinguistics, research focuses on how the brain processes and understands these sounds.

 

[Ken Rank]

Psycholinguistics - Wikipedia

I looked over the site before I commented. You asked, "Do you think there is a clear explanation for this?" I am simply asking you to restate that question using different words because I don't know what you are asking Sam. There is a relation of course... there was one language and then God confounded the language into languages which means He is the inspiration for all language and there would be many connections between them seeing they stemmed from one. But there are some who make mistakes with language... for example, just because one word "sounds like" another does not mean they are related. The Germans say "Ja" for "yes" and Ja sounds like YAH, which is exactly what the short form of God's name sounds like. Are all Germans, even atheists, calling on God when they say "yes?" NO... they are not... just because two words sound alike doesn't always mean they are related.

 

[dzheremi]

I'm a linguist in my off-board life, but I can't tell what is going on in this thread either. What is the question?

 

[com7fy8]

The fact that certain sounds together are understandable. Language itself is one of life's great mysteries to me. Do you think there is a clear explanation for this?

Well . . . in case I understand your request for an explanation > language is like pointing your finger to show what you want to get attention. Words are a code for calling attention to something, and for processing how you want someone else to know something.

It can be very efficient. For example, if you want to talk about a wild leopard, it is nicer to use words, than to actually try to handle the leopard in order to communicate about it.

Or, if you want to build a house and need to get people to understand what you want to do > having words for communicating is a lot easier than carrying a lot of building materials and tools with you and a giant model, wherever you go to show different people how you want to build your house.

Also, in the Bible we have how God's words are referring us to spiritual realities >

"These things we also teach, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:13)

So, words of God are talking about spiritual realities which can be experienced, and what to do with them and how to live in God's love. We can read what God says, then pray for how God has us doing what He knows He means.

For example >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

There is the reality of God's own peace; and God wants us to live in such personal sharing with Him, that He is ruling each of us in His own peace. So, from this, we can know we need to not trust how we can be ruled by what is not God's peace:

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)

So, language can help us to know how to love.

 

[Sammy-San]

Well . . . in case I understand your request for an explanation > language is like pointing your finger to show what you want to get attention. Words are a code for calling attention to something, and for processing how you want someone else to know something.

It can be very efficient. For example, if you want to talk about a wild leopard, it is nicer to use words, than to actually try to handle the leopard in order to communicate about it.

Or, if you want to build a house and need to get people to understand what you want to do > having words for communicating is a lot easier than carrying a lot of building materials and tools with you and a giant model, wherever you go to show different people how you want to build your house.

Also, in the Bible we have how God's words are referring us to spiritual realities >

"These things we also teach, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:13)

So, words of God are talking about spiritual realities which can be experienced, and what to do with them and how to live in God's love. We can read what God says, then pray for how God has us doing what He knows He means.

For example >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

There is the reality of God's own peace; and God wants us to live in such personal sharing with Him, that He is ruling each of us in His own peace. So, from this, we can know we need to not trust how we can be ruled by what is not God's peace:

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)

So, language can help us to know how to love.

Languages like Inuit and chinese, and many others, sound giberrish to me-is there a psycholinguistic way to explain how they make sense.

 

[com7fy8]

Languages like Inuit and chinese, and many others, sound giberrish to me-is there a psycholinguistic way to explain how they make sense.

I would say that Inuits and Chinese find their languages to be very clear

And any baby can learn any language . . . by growing up in an environment of that language. So, if you want to learn a language, possibly be like a little baby and take it in however it comes to you. And after exposure you can get familiar with more and more of it.

But I see how a baby gets a lot of love and attention, in order to encourage the baby to learn the language. And if the baby just makes sounds, people are so excited and delighted; they are not analyzing and criticizing however the baby talks or tries to talk, or how long it takes for the baby to learn. So, part of learning can be how you enjoy doing it and do it in a loving atmosphere.

In my case, I do not have people to keep on exposing me to their language, but I use a Bible in a language I am learning. And I think and pray and sing in my mind, in that language. Then, at times, I test myself with someone, to see if I am really learning it. And there are online dictionaries and explanations. And you can play online recordings which you can look up in YouTube

If you are learning in order to love people, love can make you better able to learn a language. And, like I say, there are Bible readings in different languages, in YouTube, and sermons and devotional songs. So, you can simply relax and listen, and this can get you more familiar with the language

 

[Sammy-San]

I would say that Inuits and Chinese find their languages to be very clear

And any baby can learn any language . . . by growing up in an environment of that language. So, if you want to learn a language, possibly be like a little baby and take it in however it comes to you. And after exposure you can get familiar with more and more of it.

But I see how a baby gets a lot of love and attention, in order to encourage the baby to learn the language. And if the baby just makes sounds, people are so excited and delighted; they are not analyzing and criticizing however the baby talks or tries to talk, or how long it takes for the baby to learn. So, part of learning can be how you enjoy doing it and do it in a loving atmosphere.

I watched a youtube video of an Inuit telling a story and the sounds made no sense.

 

[com7fy8]

I watched a youtube video of an Inuit telling a story and the sounds made no sense.

It makes sense to those who know the language, doesn't it?

Possibly, if an Inuit heard you talk in English, he or she might say the same thing about your English So, this might help you to feel for people who do not know English but are trying to communicate with us; speak very clearly and caringly to them, so they know you are their friend.

 

[Sammy-San]

It makes sense to those who know the language, doesn't it?

Possibly, if an Inuit heard you talk in English, he or she might say the same thing about your English So, this might help you to feel for people who do not know English but are trying to communicate with us; speak very clearly and caringly to them, so they know you are their friend.

I meant unlike Italian the sounds could not be discerned.

 

[com7fy8]

I meant unlike Italian the sounds could not be discerned.

Italian could be closer to English, than Inuit is. So, if you are familiar with English words, it could be easier to detect the words of Italian

Also, for all I know, there might be languages which do not make clearly pronounced distinctions of words. Ones might smoothen words together in a melodious way with each other.

And in English people can slur words > for example > wha-da-ya-wanna-do-today? < What do you want to do today?

And I think there are languages designed more for personal family and community communication, and not so much for formal writing and having an aristocratic level of communication. English, I think, is designed more for educated speech, and it has many rules and standards. For all I know, Inuit is not like this, but is specialized for family communication; so this could make it quite different.

It could be enjoyable to get to know an Inuit person and let that person represent his or her language Little babies have learned Inuit; so, no matter how it really is in its ways of word formation, even a baby can learn it! lolololololol

 

[Sammy-San]

Well . . . in case I understand your request for an explanation > language is like pointing your finger to show what you want to get attention. Words are a code for calling attention to something, and for processing how you want someone else to know something.

It can be very efficient. For example, if you want to talk about a wild leopard, it is nicer to use words, than to actually try to handle the leopard in order to communicate about it.

Or, if you want to build a house and need to get people to understand what you want to do > having words for communicating is a lot easier than carrying a lot of building materials and tools with you and a giant model, wherever you go to show different people how you want to build your house.

Also, in the Bible we have how God's words are referring us to spiritual realities >

"These things we also teach, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:13)

So, words of God are talking about spiritual realities which can be experienced, and what to do with them and how to live in God's love. We can read what God says, then pray for how God has us doing what He knows He means.

For example >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

There is the reality of God's own peace; and God wants us to live in such personal sharing with Him, that He is ruling each of us in His own peace. So, from this, we can know we need to not trust how we can be ruled by what is not God's peace:

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)

So, language can help us to know how to love.

What about blind people? That is a mystery to me.

 

[Larniavc]

The fact that certain sounds together are understandable. Language itself is one of life's great mysteries to me. Do you think there is a clear explanation for this?

Psycholinguistics - Wikipedia

The sounds encode meaning which we can interpret. Similar to the way an image in encoded in the pattern of reflected light from an object.

Humans have evolved to encode and decode remarkably complex meaning is sound (as have other animals to and extent).

 

[Sammy-San]

The sounds encode meaning which we can interpret. Similar to the way an image in encoded in the pattern of reflected light from an object.

Humans have evolved to encode and decode remarkably complex meaning is sound (as have other animals to and extent).

So that explains how blind people know things? It also seems confusing with regards with certain languages.

Another thing is-why are fricative words considered profanity?

 

[Larniavc]

Another thing is-why are fricative words considered profanity?

Are they?

 

[Sammy-San]

Are they?

Most swear words, regardless of language, do have them.

 

[Larniavc]

Most swear words, regardless of language, do have them.

I'm not seeing (hearing) it in English, at least. Could you elaborate?

 

[Sammy-San]

The sounds encode meaning which we can interpret. Similar to the way an image in encoded in the pattern of reflected light from an object.

Humans have evolved to encode and decode remarkably complex meaning is sound (as have other animals to and extent).

How come children have that ability full but adults don't? With certain languages like Inuktikut it almost makes no sense to understand it that way.

 

[Larniavc]

How come children have that ability full but adults don't? With certain languages like Inuktikut it almost makes no sense to understand it that way.

I don't get it. Adults do have that ability.

What's the issue with Inuktikut? I looked it up but couldn't see anything that would not fit into my description above (ᖁᓛᓂ).