Human Language: Unique Characteristics and Properties

Human Language: Unique Characteristics

Human language possesses several distinctive characteristics that set it apart from animal communication systems. These features contribute to its complexity, flexibility, and power.

Creativity

Humans have the ability to construct new sentences, enabling us to convey novel experiences to our listeners. We possess an infinite capacity to express and understand the meaning of sentences by using known elements to produce new ones. This contrasts with the fixed and limited set of calls used by animals.

Displacement

We can refer to events and objects that are not spatially or temporally present. This displacement feature is fundamental to cultural and technical progress and is not observed in any other animal species. It allows us to communicate our findings to others, unlike most animals, whose communication reflects immediate environmental stimuli.

Semantics or Arbitrariness

Human language utilizes symbols to signify or refer to objects and actions. The elements of the sign are not dependent on the nature of the reality to which they refer. For instance, the speed of a bee's dance directly reflects the distance of nectar from the hive, whereas human language does not have such a direct relationship.

Duality

Human language is characterized by dual articulation. The sounds that make up words have no intrinsic meaning but combine differently to form elements, such as words, that convey meaning. This contrasts with animal calls, which cannot be analyzed on two levels of structure similar to these.

Unit Structure

Verbal messages are not simply the sum of lexical items; they are arranged in a hierarchical structure. This will be further examined in the section on the characteristics of the linguistic sign.

Cultural Transmission

Language is an innate capacity of human beings. All children are born with the ability to develop language. However, the development of this capacity requires transmission from one generation to another, primarily through teaching and learning. This differs from the ability of bees to communicate the location of nectar, which is genetically transmitted. Children raised in isolation from other humans often fail to develop language or develop only a rudimentary form after a certain age, demonstrating the importance of cultural transmission.

Interchangeability

Speakers of a language can reproduce any linguistic message they can understand. This contrasts with the various courtship behaviors of males and females in several species, where roles are often fixed.

Total Feedback

Speakers hear everything they say and can reflect on it. This differs from the visual displays often made by animals during processions, which are not visible to those performing them.

Specialization

The sound waves of speech have no role other than to convey meaning. This contrasts with the audible gasp of dogs, which has a biological purpose.