Language is compositional: we systematically combine smaller language units—words into phrases, and phrases into sentences—to form more complex ideas. The meaning of each sentence depends on the meanings of its words and how we put them together. Consider the example, “John hugs Mary.” Each word has a specific meaning: “John” refers to one person, “Mary” […]
Browsing Tag: features of language
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Animals Don’t Have Language (Sorry! But They Do Communicate!)
As a pet owner, I often find myself wondering if my dogs are actually “saying” what I have interpreted from their barks, whines, and sighs. When they bark at the door to go outside or at the window when a car passes by, are they using language that I just can’t understand? While dogs definitely […]