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To: SunkenCiv
Yet, the Pirahã language and culture has several features that not known to exist in any other in the world and lacks features that have been assumed to be found in all human groups. The language does not have color words or grammatical devices for putting phrases inside other phrases. They do not have fiction or creation myths, and they have a lack of numbers and counting.

I don't see what exactly this proves. Old English was at least very restricted in color words: words signifying brightness and darkness, however, abound. (We students never knew quite how to translate fealu, "yellow, tawny, dun-col9ured, grey, dusky, dark.") I read years ago that number was always a late development in language. Not sure what fiction or creation myths have to do with language per se.

I assume they think Chomsky's theories about deep structure and surface structure are disproved, but without more information (lots more), I don't see how. Did Chomsky claim that all languages exploit every possibility of meaning? That would be laughable on the face of it; there's no reason they should, any more than every language must uese every phoneme the human vocal apparatus is capable of.

Also, regarding the apparent lack of fiction (I assume they mean traditional stories and myths rather than modern realistic fiction, which was a rather late development) and creation myths, I seem to recall reading numerous times over the years of primitive tribes who are more than capable of keeping things they consider important from outsiders.

7 posted on 08/10/2005 4:58:11 AM PDT by maryz
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To: maryz; SunkenCiv
They do not have fiction or creation myths, and they have a lack of numbers and counting.

I'm not buying that for a quarter!

I am supposed to believe that primitve hunter-gathers living in the midst of a major river system don't sit around the camp fire talking about their fishing skills & their sexploits?

9 posted on 08/10/2005 12:08:38 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The Marching Morons are coming...and they're breeding more Democrats beyond all reason!)
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To: maryz
It doesn't, the atrial proves nothing, every language has a way to differentiate between one and more than one.

I think that Chomsky was saying that the whole of language exploits all of the range of possibilities of Language.

I agree with you on Old English but a lot could be taken from context for example, Homer, Wine dark sea, no color there, but everyone knew what color wine was.

14 posted on 08/11/2005 6:10:13 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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