MadMesser 9/5

The two readings which were discussed in this class dealt with semiotics the third meaning of writings. Out of the two articles, I found the second to be more intriguing, in term of concepts, and the first easier to understand. Professor Cummings began the class with a quote that caught my attention, "without language, thought is a vague, uncharted nebula" (De Saussure 5). This comment connects to a question I've had in the past in regards to people who speak multiple languages. Think about it, we dream in languages, make decisions with our language, and so forth. What interests me, is the idea of those who speak and understand multiple languages. Do they perform all of the tasks previously stated in the same language or does it vary?  Sometimes the simplest processes, in which we pay almost no attention, are some of the most complex, language being a prime example.
To bring this discussion closer to home, we moved on to the changes words go through in our cultures. Our class looked at the common phrase "you're the bomb". Communities and cultures play such a large part in the formations and changes of vocabulary, while vocabulary also plays the role vis versa of formations of cultures and communities. Think about talking on the phone, and being able to identify someone simply by their vocabulary. After the discussion our class partook in on Wednesday I was forced to examine each phrase used among my peers and family for the next few days. My realization was the madness in which our culture continually changes the English language. Words are added and instances call for new phrases to become everyday linguistic. Think of all the common phrases we use that make no sense if you stop and think of it, yet they have meaning. "Mind your P's and Q's" "Mission Impossible" "Once in a blue moon" Where did these begin? We may not know, yet we know what is meant when they're said. "Language is a system of interdependent terms in which the value of each term results solely from the simultaneous presence of others." (De Saussure 7) Overall, there is great connection between language and everything else within our daily lives. Imagine a world without language. Can you?