Good point!

Posted by Sparrow on Dec 31, 2001 at 22:19
27.c.arbros.nb.net (209.161.68.144)

Re: Of Bafflegab and Science... (Amaranth Rose)

There's a significant difference though...tracks represent the past actions of material things. As such, there is very little symbolism required. A concrete thing (a track) was made by a concrete thing (an animal). It is easy to see why many early languages were ideographs, picture-symbols representing the actual object or action being communicated. Very little abstraction was needed -- or possible.

I don't know enough about cuneiform (?or?) Linear-B to comment on what their basis was laid.

Axe marks represent prior action. I can interpret that. Bison tracks represent prior action. I can interpret that. But the word "adenocanaliculitis" represents another observable sign that is indeed, an action of a sort, but the coded language that I use to communicate that idea/sign/disease is not related to the picture of that disease, and I cannot interpret that except by use of sections of my Brain that were inert till ablout 5,000 years ago. This "does not compute" in terms of either natural selection OR survival of the fittest.

Back to younz....


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