This document summarizes key points from the book "Worlds within Words" by K. David Harrison about the complexity of human languages. It discusses how language change occurs naturally over time without central authority. It also examines arguments about whether all languages are equally complex and explores examples of complex linguistic structures from smaller and endangered languages, including morphemes adding smell descriptions in Siberian Tofa, onomatopoeic sound words in Tuvan, word reduplication in Rotokas and Filipino, noun classifiers in an unnamed language, and gender-specific terms and sign languages.

1. Worlds within
Words
By K. David Harrison
(Oxford University
Press 2007)
Discussant
Mr. Kurt S. Candilas
MAE – Eng. 1
January 19, 2013

2. Studying the form of a linguistics expression
without studying the meaning is like a sipping
a fine wine, swishing it around in your mouth,
and spitting it out – it can be fun, but not
intoxicating.
-Randall Eggert, Linguist

3. I. Language Change just Happens
• Nobody directs this intricate process of language
change, on its individual or group levels.
• There is no decision-maker or authority, but
orderly change happens nonetheless.
• No schoolteacher, committee, lexicographer has
authority to decide whether a particular word
counts as a word in a language.

4. • The innovations of words only become part of the
language by a mysterious process of social
learning and consensus.
• Purists may denounce a word as “bad English”
for example, but the adoption and usage of words
become acceptable if changes are bound to
endure.
• Thus, lexicographers and grammar teachers then
catch up and acknowledge such innovations
processes.

5. II. Are All Languages Equally Complex?
• The sentiment behind this argument is noble: we
should not regard any other people or culture as
primitive or any more or less intelligent than
ourselves.
• Most of the world’s languages remain
undescribed or underdescribed.
• We have no way to measure complexity within a
single language or across multiple languages.

6. The complexity of the language arises from
many unlike factors, notably on:
• innate ability of the human
• the size of the speech community
• the level of contact among speakers
• the range of uses of a language
• the modality (spoken or signed)
• the intricate historical processes of language
change.

7. III. Complexity Run Amok
• Grammars that seem to have run amok,
stretching the very limits of complexity. In
particular, small languages whose grammars
seem average often contain an astonishing
complexity.
• Since grammars are shaped by culture and
environment, as well as by human brains.

8. The following is a Chomskyan
structure found in small, obscure
and endangered languages
claimed by Harrison (2007)

9. Smelly Talk
• A unique morpheme of the language of Siberian
(Tofa), consisting of such morpheme that
speakers can add to any noun.
Example:
The word “ivi” of Tofa language means reindeer,
if we add the olfactory suffix –sig, we get a new
word “ivisig” that means smelling like a reindeer.
Key points: Derivation and Inflection of Words

10. Sound Talk
• An onomatopoetic words of nomadic yak herders
(Tuvan) that equip its speaker with an unusually
complex, combinatory system for expressing and
representing sounds.
Example:
Kongur – sound of a big bell ringing
Kingir – clanging keys
Kangyr – a giant empty metal barrel rolling along
Key points: Onomatopoeia (words associated with sounds)

11. Willy-nilly Talk
• A doubled word which linguists dub as
“reduplication” that pops up predictably and in
subtly different forms in languages.
Examples:(Rotokas language)
tapa – to hit > tapatapa – to hit repeatedly
kopi – a dot > kopikopi – spotted
Examples:(Filipino language: Cebuano)
ayo – to buy > ayoayo – take care
balik – to come > balikbalik – to come repeatedly

12. Touchy-feely Talk
• A classifier language through assigning every
noun to one of several abstract categories.
Example:
Common Quality
Examples of Objects
Come in pairs
eyes, hands, ears, etc.
Small & roundish
nuts, bullets, berries
Thin & flat
leaves, papers,
blankets

13. Man-talk, Woman-talk
• A speaker of either of the sexes talks differently
depending on its interlocutor.
Examples:
The word “mehinen” of Arapesh in New Guinea
refers to different entity. If you are a man, I am
referring to your sister’s son, but if you are a
woman I’m referring to your brother’s daughter.

14. Handy-Talk, Talking Hands
• World’s signed languages – spoken natively by
deaf people
• A small system of gestures with a limited range of
uses.

15. - THE END THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!
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