Monday, May 1, 2017

Lots of Words by: Alyssa Stouch


As we discussed today in class, words really have no purpose without people to speak them. The best part is, there is no actual logic behind the development of words and names; we just simply agree as a society. In fact, we agree so much so that people are most likely to give unidentified objects the same.  This weekend I attended an SAT Boot camp (I had the time of life honestly and could not have spent my time any better) and found one of the tests very interesting and it made me think of what we learned to in class. As a group we were shown the following two pictures:
Name the Images: A. Malooma B. Takata 

Image result for blob outline
Then we were asked to name one of the shapes 'Malooma' and the other 'Takata.' Obviously, these are not real words yet every one of us named the left image, with sharp edges, 'Takata' and the right image, with rounded curves,  'Malooma.' The question is why? However we really do not know for sure but we do know, as a people, we are aware of the same features in which certain words and sounds are associated with. We can understand and agree upon words we have never been taught, words that don't even exist rather. But how is it that a language created by man and taught over time, can be so natural? I believe words are more abstract than we say they are, but is there even a word to describe this?(The irony really kills me) Language is one of the world's greatest inventions, but is also one the world's greatest unsolved mysteries. 

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