Dec 6, 2022
How Was Language Formed?
After 1916, through the ‘Cours de Linguistique Générale’, the term General Linguistics and the name Ferdinand de Saussure soared in the field of linguistic knowledge. The theory says that language is a formation of a system, and the terms micro and macro are increasingly used by language researchers later on.
In this article, inseparable from the branch of linguistics that was popularized by Saussure, the author is interested in trying to describe how language can form so that it is understood by humans through the perspective of a branch of science: Semantics.
If only I could summarize all my knowledge about languages in one column in the form of articles here, then I wouldn’t have to continue my studies, and just write! (Attention! All content in this article is purely the author’s understanding, if there are errors the author really open criticism and suggestions. Thank you!).
Language and Philosophy
Everything starts from ‘how humans can gain knowledge of the world’. ‘How do humans view the world from their perspective’, ‘how do humans assess and identify problems’, ‘how do humans solve and explain problems’, to ‘how humans can apply them and teach them so that they become concepts today’.
From there, it starts with a question mark that causes anxiety as a human being. Then, humans find out with reason, until they know there is a problem (which has not been explained) so that it gives birth to knowledge.
As they get older, humans feel that this knowledge is enough, so that their descendants can also get this knowledge (teaching), then we say it is science.
Language and Concept
Everything that can be said and can be explained with meaning, then it can be said as language. Conversely, if it cannot be pronounced and its meaning explained, then it can be said to be non-language. However, in reality the possibility of ‘what is said has no meaning’ is impossible. Because, if there is a sign that humans don’t know about, it’s easy for them to ‘create’ the meaning themselves.
Language and concepts are intertwined. Likewise, humans and their reasoning. Impossible if language does not have concepts. The role of the human being itself which in the end cannot be separated can give birth to the many languages on earth. Because language is a human product that is based on signs, names, and concepts for whatever exists in the universe.
Language and Signs
Because the nature of language is a form of embodiment of the world, here ‘human’ is the main character whose role is to use language as a tool. Simultaneously, humans also go through twists and turns in explaining their meaning through language forms.
Language is arbitrary (whichever it likes/abstract/free), therefore language is also a system (which is known to give rise to the birth of various languages) because the system helps humans in processing their concepts according to their environment, and at the same time humans are beings who learning from experience (teaching and application).
Language and Symbol
Everything that can be explained on earth, he explained through language. So, humans need a place or container. In this case, humans need a ‘form’ to be able to explain their ‘concept’. In order not to give rise to arbitrary linguistic characteristics, humans then create symbols.
Humans use forms to determine their ‘meaning’ through language. That is in the form of paintings, symbols, traces and so on.
Language Naming
In the process of language formation, it is clear that it cannot be separated from the naming of the language itself. We ourselves know that to make something happen we need concepts, forms, and codes. It is in these three cases that language cannot be separated from the identity used today.***
