Just last week, a friend of mine (from far far away land - NZ) asked me, what it would seem an easy question:
"Is it fair to say that our most primary form of communicating information is spoken language?"
Like usual, I didn't gave him a simple answer (my friends would say I'm quite known of complicating things as much as possible, but I would say like to have things very determent and precisely defined). There were several uncertainties about the question it self and how it was meant, so this is how I broke down the problem:
1st
What do you mean with word "primary"? If you mean "common" then I would say Yes for the current time being. If word "primary" is there as "what means of communication man used through time", let us say from stone age on. Then I'm not really sure. It might have been gestures at close distances. I can't really decide between them.
2nd
The second question here is what is the "spoken language"? If that is anything that comes from your mouth then you'll find the answer under 1. But if spoken language is a well defined collections of sounds, organised and so on ... then yes for time being, but not in the early ages of humankind.
3rd
If we take it the easy way ... What about "written language". I would still say that spoken one is more common, but not all would agree.
Later, when he caught me on-line and we chatted for a while the debate went even deeper. But still this debate put my mind on a mental workout again and that is why I like hard debates very much.
Thanks Brandon.
Posts
