From Sounds to Speech: A Human Discovery

Abstract

Language is a system of symbols, consisting of either visible patterns (such as written or sign language) or audible sounds (such as speech), which represent things other than themselves. Not all visible patterns or audible signs, of course, amount to language. Those who make and perceive these signs must know what they represent, so the signs must be both consistent and easily recognizable. For example, all people who understand and recognize the English word <i>cat</i> can relate it to the domestic animal. But, while language must be used consistently, in another sense it is arbitrary: the written or spoken word <i>cat</i> bears no resemblance to the animal it refers to.