Language and reality
Does language take cues from reality? Tallis says Yes; at least, that’s one kind of relation language has to reality.
His charming evidence: He notes that it’s more common to add “barking” to “dog” than to add other verbs. If language doesn’t take its cues from reality, “we must surely be at a loss to explain why the transition from ‘dog’ to ‘-is barking’ has a high frequency in observed speech while those from ‘dog’ to ‘-is quacking’ or from ‘dog’ to ‘-is reading Of Grammatology with pleasure and profit’ have much lower, or even negligible, frequencies.”
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
In Medias Res
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