Pre-linguistic roots of language and its innate ideas

Dieter Marsal

pp. 531-539

in: Jan Wind, Brunetto Chiarelli, Bernard Bichakjian, Alberto Nocentini, Abraham Jonker (eds), Language origin, Berlin, Springer, 1992

Abstract

Any attempt to define the meaning of the abstract words of a language L by words of the same language L results in a system of explanations of empty meaning. Every meaningful language L must be founded on basic words ("prime words") which cannot be explained by words of L. The prime words of our first language (the mother tongue) must be explained by a pre-linguistic procedure. This necessitates the existence of certain innate ideas if the meaning of prime words is demonstrated by gestures, tones of voice, and other physical actions.