1.3.1 Arbitrariness
1.3.2 Duality
1.3.3 Creativity
Creativity means that language is resourceful because of its
duality and its recursiveness. Recursiveness refers to the
rule which can be applied repeatedly without any definite limit.
The recursive nature of language provides a theoretical basis
for the possibility of creating endless sentences.
1.3.4 Displacement
1.4 Origin of language
1. The bow-wow theory
In primitive times people imitated the sounds of the animal
calls in the wild environment they lived and speech developed
from that.
2. The pooh-pooh theory
In the hard life of our primitive ancestors, they utter
instinctive sounds of pains, anger and joy which gradually
developed into language.
3. The “yo-he-ho” theory
As primitive people worked together, they produced some
rhythmic grunts which gradually developed into chants and then
into language.