The Importance of Words
If there was no word such as 'freedom' would we know what it meant? Alternatively, if we didn't have a word for 'Green' would it exist in our consciousness? Or, if the sound 'L' didn't appear in any language would we know to say it?
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Here's a clip of someone struggling to say the 'L' sound - because they probably have no conception of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPA6-E0b15k
Wikipedia: The English language makes a distinction between blue and green, but some languages do not. Of these, quite a number, mostly in Africa, do not distinguish blue from black either, while there are a handful of languages that do not distinguish blue from black but have a separate term for green. Also, some languages treat light (often greenish) blue and dark blue as separate colors, rather than different variations of blue, while English does not.
Well that's the thing, in terms of sounds, in my experience with the languages of the world, English is missing out on a lot of sounds. But to just simplify it: pressing your lips together and exhaling. Children do it and we can all make the sound, but it's not utilised in the language. In no way does this disadvantage any language, because the sounds we already have a sufficient amount of sounds.
And that video is just... An example of how we can't adapt to another language not having a certain sound. Or at least one man cannot adjust.
In terms of colour, I think there are a few I can name which I really have never seen words for but that might just be because of my lack of knowledge on the topic. Art students would be the best people to ask. But I can still imagine these colours in my mind, just not put it into words.
But as for emotions and.. I can't think of much else though I think we're onto something here. The fact that I can't think of things that there may not be words for might just because.. There aren't words for it.
It's a bit of a paradox but it makes sense. We may lack words for certain things, but it doesn't mean we don't know what it means.
See, this is why words and language is so important. There are so many things in the world, things beyond the world, that exist. All we can do is continue to make words as we go along. I suppose if we didn't have a word for "green," we may associate some other word with it. Leaf, grass or even, "that one color I saw on that one tree."
Human beings have always been like that; we've made up languages from scratch and millennia in, continue to add new words to it. I don't think language will ever be finite. Language will grow alongside knowledge, invention and discovery.
I believe we would still know what freedom was unless we were conditioned to believe it didn't exist. Just because the actual word doesn't exist doesn't mean the concept is nonexistent too. The word, "freedom" is just a convenience. But the idea will always remain, there will always be a nagging in human consciousness that will desire something more.
Also,s omehow, someway, our tongues would end up giving us a sound that isn't in our language. Every sound is made up from tongue movements, tongue placements and inflections. Maybe the "L" sound wouldn't be discovered for a while, but as Duwane said, children make noises that aren't even a part of our language. It's just a matter of being bored enough and amusing yourself by making noises.
^Neiha, think back to when we analysed George Orwell's 1984 . There are some words that don't exist in Oceania. There is no word for warm. Just "cold" and "uncold". How would this affect our thoughts and expectations?
(In the book,more chillingly, there is also the word "unperson".)
Oh! I sort of assumed it meant the natural nonexistence of words and not a totalitarian erasure of words. I think there would still be a difference because that's how Oceania was socialized - they were ruled to fear the government but to still revere it. Words are a form of liberation.
...but I think you would have no thoughts and no expectations. And that is a frightening thought. If there are no words to describe your displeasure, then there is no displeasure and, more importantly, no way to alleviate that displeasure. There would be no nuances in words. No urgency.
You have no way to express yourself and that’s just what they want. Good and Ungood are not enough to describe sadness, fear, horror, anger, pain etc. You turn into nothing but a monotonous grey figure without a voice. Shows how truly powerful words are. I hope to god Newspeak never comes into existence :/
We would always experience emotions even if we don’t have a name for it. So even if we dint have a word for freedom we would still feel it, but it’s just that we would not be able to describe it or to explain it. We wouldn’t be able to write the feelings into words.
About Green, we would see the colour everywhere, but we wouldn’t exactly be able to use it anywhere because we don’t have a word for. We wouldn’t be able to make relations to it. Each word is a simplified version of the billions of things associated with it.
And if ‘L’ did not exist in ANY language then we wouldn’t be able to pronounce it at all. It is something like coming up with a new alphabet!
We wouldn’t be able to say it at all, it would impact our lives so much, it would change Music (Lalala wouldn’t exist), Language (Words like Love wouldn’t exist) and so much more.
Life is made out of words.
Well as perplexing as it may sound, to me the answer seems simple. Its the fact that we humans can pronounce the word "L" that causes it to appear in languages.
If a certain sound isn't present in an alphabet, that doesn't stop us from churning our tongue and saying it.
I fully agree with yusra when it comes to feeling emotions. Some words simply may not be able to describe how we feel and that applies to other characteristics as well. If a word describing a certain color doesn't exist, then it doesn't mean that we cant see it. It just means that we just cant describe it effectively. Lack of words to describe wont stop us from feeling.
I think we don't exactly know how the words we use today came about. We don't know why words have certain meanings. I think the English Language is a complex language to explain and of course if certain words didn't exist the way we think today would be different.
I don't know how exactly to explain or answer the questions but I know that without what we have today; be it language or a car, nothing would be the same.
The non-existence of word doesnt necessarily mean that we are unconscious of it. This also applies to emotions as well. We may feel something but might not be able to express is and put it into words. Sounds and letters to.. we are capable of enunciating sounds that may not necessarily exist as alphabets, like the 'kh' sound. It is an existing letter in the Arabic language and just because there's no such letter in english doesn't mean the sound itself isnt't 'real'.
I completely agree with Raya: 'Lack of words to describe wont stop us from feeling.'
Absolutely! Just because some emotions haven't been named yet, it does not mean that they do not exist.
Millions of years ago love and hate was definitely felt by everyone, but they may have not understood what feelings were and given them a name to be called by.
I believe that the more we advance the better we understand ourselves and the things around us.
Just because we have no name for something doesn't stop it from existing.
Without the word 'freedom' you still have the definition for means of explaining the concept.
For the word 'green' on the other hand, we, so often, describe colours utilising the precious suffix '-ish'. 'My dress is that blue-ish teal green colour'. So what's there to stop us using it for other colours by relating them to items we've seen before or the colours on the trees outside :P.
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