In the Beginning was Information

It should be clear from these examples that no two languages correspond fullyin respect to word meanings, and they do not at all correspond wheregrammatical and semantic structures are concerned. Every language has itsown unique wealth, its own special complexity, and also its own weaknesses.A2.1.3 The Origin of LanguagesThere is a practically limitless number of speculations and theories aboutthe origin of human languages [C1]. According to the natural sounds andimitation theory, humans mimicked the sounds made by animals.Although human languages contain many imitation words, such mimicryof animal sounds cannot be employed for a systematic analysis, becauseimitations vary quite arbitrarily from nation to nation. When a Germancock crows, it cries “kikeriki”, for example, an English cock crows “cocka-doodle-doo”,while Russians reproduce this sound as “kukuriki”. AnEskimo can convincingly imitate the call of a whale, but it does not occurto him to name a whale by this sound.Other theories maintain that human languages were derived from emotionalexclamations, or that the first words were sounds used to accompanyor emphasise certain gesticulations. The evolutionary idea of anupwards development of grunts and snorts to cultural languages throughthe primitive languages of aboriginal nations has been thoroughly refutedby comparative linguistics. Even the different and separated Amerindiantribes in California possessed an extremely complex and subtle language.It was practically impossible to unlock this language grammatically andtranslate it adequately. The most complex Amerindian language of all isComanche [C1]. Some sounds are whispered and others have to beformed by using only the larynx. During the first World War this languagewas used as a secret code [U1]. Two Comanche Indians were employedfor telephone messages, one at each end; at the transmitting end one ofthem translated the English message into Comanche, and these messagescould not be deciphered, because the grammar was too far removed fromEuropean languages, and it would have taken several years of intensivestudy for the opposing side to have learned the language.Such “code talkers” were employed during the Second World war as well,having been selected from different tribes (e. g. Comanche, Chippewa,Hopi, and Navajo), and the American Marine Corps employed 375 Navajos[U1]. The first four verses of the Gospel of John might serve to conveythe complexity of this language:2121 Hodeeyáadi Saad jílí, Saad éí Diyin God bil hojíló, índa Saad éíDiyin God jílí. 2 T’ áá éí hodeeyáadi Diyin God bil hojíló; 3 éí t’áá’alt-