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I've always found such linguistic criticisms of human languages to be quite intriguing. Most are used to thinking of programming languages as "tools" (though th
by vezzy-fnord 12y ago
I've always found such linguistic criticisms of human languages to be quite intriguing. Most are used to thinking of programming languages as "tools" (though there are persuasive arguments for them being more like materials), and consequently this axiom leads to the implication of using the right tool for the right job.
Yet we seldom see such ideas for human languages - that some could be better for expressing certain concepts than others. Is it because the huge keyword count of human languages necessitate us to desire a single lingua franca for quick communication, or is it a fear of cultural insensitivity?
- panglott 12y agoWe seldom see this idea because it's mostly not true. To the extent that it is, it's because some cultures have spent more time thinking about algebra and spaceflight than others, and have more words for them. But words are cheap, they're easy to make.