Patterns in Language: a Presentation

by Jennifer Ball

Summary •  Examples of language bias: black vs. white •  The importance of eyes and sight •  Bilateral symmetry makes us like the number 2

(also that is the number of animals that it takes to make more animals)

•  B/乃 represent “2” in many languages •  B and V swap sounds in at least 8 languages •  Female mammals are the basis of written language •  The data suggests Chinese is the oldest written

language •  If we live in denial, we are like the frog at the

bottom of the well: limited in scope

Language could be learned faster

If we saw the similarities in all written languages—the pattern based upon human need for sex, procreation, and food—we could retain words and characters more quickly. However humans do not like to be reminded that we are animals.

Language could be learned faster

If we saw the similarities in all written languages—the pattern based upon human need for sex, procreation, and food—we could retain words and characters more quickly. However humans do not like to be reminded that we are animals.

Cultural Universals

•  A smile is a cultural universal: every culture smiles.

•  Linguistic universals are commonalities in language: concepts that every language has, like nouns.

•  One linguistic universal is that every literate culture seems to differentiate black from white.

Why is black equated with bad?���Why is white equated with good?���

Why is black equated with bad?���Why is white equated with good?���

They are just the absence and presence of light.

Could it be because…

Night was dangerous Other animals use many senses, but we primarily use our eyes. Long ago, darkness was scary. Therefore it became associated with “bad.”

Here are some examples where the words “black”

and “dark” are used in a negative way. These examples do not condone the use of these expressions.

Blackmail:���Threatening to expose secrets for money

Black Market: Illegal trade

Europe 500-1000 AD—��� 1,500 years ago: It was a violent time

Why do these words sound negative?

Why do these words sound negative?

stingy cheap

petty trivial

complainers South African

country

Why do these words sound negative?

Notice what

color he is.

stingy cheap

petty trivial

complainers South African

country

NIGHT NIGHT

NIGHT NIGHT

NIGHT NIGHT NEGATIVE

NIGHT NIGHT NEGATIVE A photographic

negative is used to print a positive, which is the picture we see in magazines.

NIGHT NIGHT

NEGRO NEGATIVE A photographic

negative is used to print a positive, which is the picture we see in magazines.

NIGHT NIGHT

NEGRO “Negro” means “black” in Spanish, and used to be the word for African Americans in the 1960s.

NEGATIVE A photographic negative is used to print a positive, which is the picture we see in magazines.

NIGHT NIGHT

All have an association with darkness.

NEGRO “Negro” means “black” in Spanish, and used to be the word for African Americans in the 1960s.

NEGATIVE A photographic negative is used to print a positive, which is the picture we see in magazines.

NIGHT NIGHT

All have an association with darkness.

NEGRO NEGATIVE

黑 means “black” in Chinese.

NIGHT NIGHT

All have an association with black.

NEGRO NEGATIVE

黑社会 (hei1she2hui4, gangster organization) 黑心 (hei1xin1, badly intentioned) 幕后黑手(mu4hou4hei1shou3, one who operates in the background)

NIGHT NIGHT

All have an association with black.

NEGRO NEGATIVE

黑社会 (hei1she2hui4, gangster organization) 黑心 (hei1xin1, badly intentioned) 幕后黑手(mu4hou4hei1shou3, one who operates in the background)

Perceiving color is important In the past it helped us distinguish the animal camoflauged in the background terrain and allowed us to kill it, perhaps before it killed us. Sharp eyes were key to a trained hunter.

Can you read the number?

If not, you may be color-

blind

There are 5 kinds of

colorblindness—all carried

on the female’s X

chromosome; so colorblind

people are predominantly male because they only get

one X.

There are 5 kinds of

colorblindness—all carried

on the female’s X

chromosome; so colorblind

people are predominantly male because they only get

one X.

“Color” in Hanzi (written Chinese)

se4

Sharp eyes see color

se4

Sharp eyes see color =

Did you ever realize…

color

…that the word “color” is a face?

color • •

We cull by color.���

We cull by color.���I want the red one.

We cull by color.���

I want the green one.

We cull by color.���

I want the blue one.

Eyes allow us to see color.���Eyes are how we view the world.

Eyes allow us to see color.���Eyes are how we view the world.

Eyes allow us to see color.���Eyes are how we view the world.

Notice that they all look to the left!

Eyes allow us to see color.���Eyes are how we view the world.

Notice that they all look to the left!

This means that one side of the body

We have two eyes because humans are bilaterally

symmetrical.

This means that one side of the body is a copy of the other.

We have two eyes because humans are bilaterally

symmetrical.

Eleven of our letters ���have vertical bilateral symmetry���

Just like with us, an imaginary mirror plane runs down the middle of each letter

Nine of our letters have horizontal bilateral

symmetry���

Sixteen (16) out of 26 letters are bilaterally symmetrical���

Four (4) letters are quadralaterally symmetrical (and we

kind of are too!):

HIOX Symmetry is sexy to humans. It

means we are genetically fit.

Humans like couples

We like things to come by twos. Male and female...

Noah’s Ark

The Noah’s Ark story—诺亚方舟—is 4,600 years old—2000 years older than Christianity. All the animals go 2 by 2.

Noah’s Ark

“Bi” means “two” and “biology” means “life.” It takes two animals (female and male!) to produce life.

The Noah’s Ark story—诺亚方舟—is 4,600 years old—2000 years older than Christianity. All the animals go 2 by 2.

Noah’s Ark

The Noah’s Ark story—诺亚方舟—is 4,600 years old—2000 years older than Christianity. All the animals go 2 by 2.

The world’s first sex education!

Bi = 2

•  B is the 2nd letter of the alphabet •  B has 2 lobes

B 1

2

Bifocals: (near and far sighted)

“Bi” means 2 together���

Bill: top and bottom come together

Binary: base 2 (0 and 1)

Bite: 2 sets of teeth come together

Bicycle - 自行⻋车 zi4 xing2 che1

Two circles Self pedaling vehicle

One person 1 Humans like to count things

2

Chinese has a “B”

奶

This character means “milk.” Milk only comes out of something that looks like a “B.”

Means “female”

Looks like the letter “B”

Seven languages have a “B/V” swap

For example, a mobile phone means the phone moves:

Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Russian, Spanish, English, and Bengali There may be more!

Seven languages have a “B/V” swap

For example, a mobile phone means the phone moves:

Oblong = Oval

Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Russian, Spanish, English, and Bengali There may be more!

Seven languages have a “B/V” swap

For example, a mobile phone means the phone moves:

Dribble = Drivel

Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Russian, Spanish, English, and Bengali There may be more!

Seven languages have a “B/V” swap

For example, a mobile phone means the phone moves:

Gubernatorial = Governor

Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Russian, Spanish, English, and Bengali There may be more!

Seven languages have a “B/V” swap

For example, a mobile phone means the phone moves:

Scribe = Scrivener

Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Russian, Spanish, English, and Bengali There may be more!

The B/V swap

•  An obstetrician is a doctor who delivers babies. Babies come from women’s ovaries.

•  An oval is an oblong shape. •  It is the shape of an egg. •  An egg is an ovum, an oval, ���

and an oblong.

The B/V swap

•  An obstetrician is a doctor who delivers babies. Babies come from women’s ovaries.

•  An oval is an oblong shape. •  It is the shape of an egg. •  An egg is an ovum, an oval, ���

and an oblong.

Female mammals… •  Produce milk and babies •  Have body parts that resemble “B” and “V” •  Are all over Chinese writing (Hanzi) •  Are the root of language

Female mammals… •  Produce milk and babies •  Have body parts that resemble “B” and “V” •  Are all over Chinese writing (Hanzi) •  Are the root of language 女

female

Female mammals… •  Produce milk and babies •  Have body parts that resemble “B” and “V” •  Are all over Chinese writing (Hanzi) •  Are the root of language

Linguists tell us that “B” comes from “house.” Linguists are in denial. 女

female

Female mammals… •  Produce milk and babies •  Have body parts that resemble “B” and “V” •  Are all over Chinese writing (Hanzi) •  Are the root of language

Linguists tell us that “B” comes from “house.” Linguists are in denial.

“House” is a euphemism for where you put your “B/Vs.”

女 female

Female mammals… •  Produce milk and babies •  Have body parts that resemble “B” and “V” •  Are all over Chinese writing (Hanzi) •  Are the root of language

Linguists tell us that “B” comes from “house.” Linguists are in denial.

Sex is everywhere. Why wouldn’t it be in language?

女 female

The roots of language are in China

•  Written Chinese is the only language to have been documented for 4,000 years.

•  We can learn about English by studying Chinese because the concepts that were important to early humans are universal.

Beginnings of Written Language

Jiahu symbols 湖契刻符

6,600 BC (8,600 years ago)"found in Henan, China"

These symbols are not considered actual “writing” by the experts…

Yet forms of them are currently used in written Chinese…

目八 头 日

Jiahu symbols 湖契刻符

6,600 BC (8,600 years ago)"found in Henan, China"

These symbols are not considered actual “writing” by the experts…

The Frog at the Bottom of the Well Like the Chengyu 井底之蛙 says, a frog at the bottom of a well has tunnel vision. We need to jump out of our well and look at all language for similarities because we humans are a lot alike.

谢谢 Thank you for thinking about my ideas concerning the origins of all language. Feel free to email me any comments or questions you have at: OriginofAlphabet@me.com or visit my website at: www.OriginofAlphabet.com

Who is Jennifer Ball?

•  I am a novelist: Higher Math (Faber, 1991) and Catalyst (Faber, 1997)

•  I also co-wrote a book on digital typography (M&T Press, 1991)

Educational Background

•  I have a Bachelor’s in Theater from University of California at Los Angeles

•  I have a Master’s in Creative Writing from San Diego State University

•  I have studied ancient languages for 4 years •  我学习汉字和汉语差不多四年

(I have studied Chinese writing and language for about 4 years)

•  I have lived with a scientist for 28 years

Work Experience •  I am a teacher of English at Soochow University,

Suzhou, China, in the Nanotechnology Department

•  I was the music editor for the San Diego Reader for 7.5 years

•  I taught computer graphics for 5 years at Platt Technical College in San Diego

•  I taught English 101 at San Diego State University