Cratylus: Are Names Arbitrary?
Is the word "cat" purely random, or does the sound itself carry the essence of the animal? We revisit Plato’s "Cratylus", the original showdown between linguistic Naturalism and Convention. Discover…
Tag: arbitrariness
The Prairie Dog’s Dictionary
Beyond simple barks, prairie dogs possess a stunningly complex communication system that functions like a dictionary of the plains. Groundbreaking research shows they have distinct "words" not just for different…
The Grammar of the Bees: Do Animals Truly Have Language?
We marvel at the honeybee's 'waggle dance' and the intricate alarm calls of prairie dogs, but do these complex systems qualify as language? While animals are masters of communication, linguistics…