Why language is humanity's greatest invention | David Peterson
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 жов 2019
- Visit TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more.
Civilization rests upon the existence of language, says language creator David Peterson. In a talk that's equal parts passionate and hilarious, he shows how studying, preserving and inventing new languages helps us understand our collective humanity -- and gives a quick lesson on High Valyrian, one of two languages he created for "Game of Thrones" (along with Dothraki). "Language is not merely a tool," he says. "It is our legacy, it's our way of conveying what it means to be human."
Get TED Talks recommended just for you! Learn more at TED.com/signup.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here: media-requests.TED.com
Follow TED on Twitter: / tedtalks
Like TED on Facebook: / ted
Subscribe to our channel: / ted
As a languages student, i've learned a lot of things.
My native language is Portuguese, but i'm fluent in English, speak some Spanish and starting with Japanese. I also had Latim classes in college, but i didn't like it.
The amount of awareness you get about communication and even about the way you think is just fantastic!
Brasil?
@ precisamente. Vc também, eu imagino
@@ClanDosCanalhas Sim, hehe. Legal do japonês. Eu tô estudando espanhol. Já fui pra Tóquio, é incrível!
@ poxa, muito legal! Buena suerte con el Español, entonces :)
@@ClanDosCanalhas español, sin mayúsculas. Igual que em português ;)
well, at least I fulfilled my listening practice for tonight
He brings up points that remind me of why I love reading Tolkien so much. Everytime Tolkien writes something there's a chance that he will go into a rabbit hole so to speak and explain exactly what he means about simply one line or one word with a few pages. It's truly fascinating.
It's unconceivable to me that some people don't speak more than one language. Languages open worlds to you, open new cultures and new experiences to you. I learned four laguages and each one of them changed my view of world completely. I wish I could speak all the laguages in the world..
come to America where English is so central and other languages are discouraged
"unconceivable" ... maybe you should focus on your english
Language is the key to everything on the world I'm Brazilian but I learned English, that opened closed doors for me!
I’m working in IT. I’m good at what I do, but I’m successful because I speak really good English. 🙂
@@anttikalpio4577 yeah that's really make a big difference down the road!
False learning ENGLISH opened doors for u. If I learned whatever u people speak it wouldn’t make a difference in my life at all
I'm a portuguese which also speaks english and french (I will eventually try and learn german or dutch) and I have to say that learning different languages enables you to see connections between them and, even with all differences, you can get a sense that we have a lot of things that unites us all!
Happy birthday David! Hope all is going great with you and your family. Thank you for the great Ted Talk.
For me, you are preaching to the choir. That being said, it’s nice to know the intrinsic value of language resonates with others as well. I met you at the Game of Thrones convention, and it was the first time I had ever been to a conlang presentation. It was great. Thank you
7 min passed and I don’t feel connected to the speaker and the point he tries to make other than the obvious title.
@@thisisnull Yeah. Sometimes I really doubt Ted's selection of speaker. I understand they even worked on practicing and rehearsing with the speaker prior to the actual presentation. This kind of thing should not have happened as this is not presentable (rambling on and on and out of context).
@@thisisnull I am never a big fan of TED. Instead, I am a fan of Toastmasters (it's a public speaking organization in case you don't know). Their speeches are short and sweet 5-7 minutes. Generally include storytelling and teaches a moral lesson. It doesn't guarantee any new or novel ideas like TED's focus, but I find they are more entertaining and educational because these speakers are actually in a speaking club rather than just anyone in the street who has a good idea can come up and talk and have no sense of speech organization or delivery techniques... etc
Amusing to see someone reply in this fashion on this talk about language which makes a point about how important perception of language is to our minds.
Because he speaks a language you understand, but not in a way you like he uses said language, you express this dissatisfaction in the same language he uses. But does this notion devaluate this TED talk video?
I'm not a native English speaking person, but because I am multi-lingual, I can understand what he says. I might not like the way he puts it into words, but nonetheless I can grasp the general content. As a matter of fact, my knowledge of the English language allows me to interpret cultural traits not native to me which are present in this foreign language. My level of understanding allows me to translate things like humor and sarcasm without getting lost in translation.
I am native Dutch speaker, so I could probably fake South African and Belgian. My knowledge about the German language and culture is enough to read and understand it, and am even confident enough to speak it in Germany which is about 10 km from my home. I also have a basic grasp of Danish (both lingual and cultural), which allows me to share ideas and concepts with not only Danes, but also Swedish and Norwegian people. Because Belgium is also only 12 km away and half of it speaks French, again my knowledge of this language and culture allows me to read, understand and convey trains of thought in French.
And because I know English is a language which is used as a second language to many non-native English speaking people, who are quite well capable of grasping more than just the translation of words alone, I am able to convey a statement: Don't shoot the messenger, just get the message..
..in case you didn't get the message, language is important since some of them are going extinct like dinosaurs and Bengal tigers but still have a lot to tell..
@@dimitri877
Right. American English native speakers are not used enough to really know other countries' culture through studying their related language, and that's a pity.
At least being Europeans has some advantage
Good explanation on how important languages are.🗣
Nice explanation on how important languages are.
In a nutshell: Language is the way consciousness expresses itself and materializes everything and anything
You didn't watch the video. Most of what he talked about was not that.
Language is something which helps to communicate with anyone & where u belong to. I am indan but I love Spanish so am really trying best to learn this language 🙂
Shirley Wilson do you wabble your head to say yes? I just came from India and that is so strange for a European. It’s not only spoken language. You need to understand body language also. 🙂😀
Antti Kalpio 👍yep
yeah i like the way he said"language only used as a tool or money making " , and still it is.
Each language represents a unique way of experiencing the surrounding world. Therefore, to truly understand each other, we must learn each other's language.
Or all speak the same language.
Wow, so very much interesting and true, especially as seen by the eyes of someone who fluently speaks 4 languages and works with them (I'm a translator)
Excellent!
Singapore has been doing bilingual project for many decades- English and Mother tongue
I only speak English. I have never been able to learn another language. Please note how I say that. I have tried. I have tried Spanish, German, French and LATIN! I am able to learn words, I am not able to learn grammar. I understand and am able to write English grammar, but I honestly can't say I know how even English grammar works. I find advanced mathematics to be like grammar, it just doesn't make sense to me. I understand now, in my 60s, that I have a language learning disability that effects how I can and can't learn languages and math. I can't even spell, praise the Lord for spell check. I find languages really interesting. I love history - I minored in history in college, I could've had a double major if I could've learned another language! I took a History of the English Language class in the English department (my English major friend's least favorite class) and I loved it, I even passed it without the curve because she didn't grade on the curve.
I learned and speak six languages ... My handicap is that I read VERY slow, need to understand everything ... And taking courses while in college was always a problem for me - I never had enough time to read everything I wanted to. I have three children, grown up by now, taught them all and spoke to them in three languages - they are all engineers, excellent in mathematics, ... My mother also spoke several languages. ... I was the BEST in the History of E. L. ... I can still in my 60's read Chaucer without a problem. ... even Beowulf ..
I spent a while thinking about the inventions of Star Trek and which one was the most likely that led to the utopian Paradise of the series, I narrowed it down to two options either the invention of the replicator or the invention of the universal translator.
Bonjour de Liège Belgique.
Besides this guy Christian I used to work with, language is obviously our greatest creation.
lol
I would laugh if it just ended after "holiday ornaments"
Exactly 💯
Keep it up ! This was very educational
CAUTION: 'LAUGHING' INTO THIS VIDEO IS COMPLETELY FORGED.
The introspection of a multilateral divergence of our thought processes into common spoken or written language that is relatively constructed to suit or ease our day to day individual interaction(s).
Learning new languages would consequently boost our linguistic interests exponentially. Nice one!
0megalvyz1 Learning and being smart is important, but big biceps is importanter! Get to the gym!
Too wordy. But you've impressed yourself, and that's the important thing.
Thank you.
20alphabet I was equally impressed, but my propensity for tomfoolery superseded my predilection for intellectual colloquy. Burp!
@@daddydojang
Lol 😆😆😆
Language is magic
It'd be a plain world without languages.
Sometimes it would be a better one, some people definitely talk too much
Can someone explain why, in USA, diphthongs are called long vowel? When I first came to the US I thought that the elementary school teacher was dum ... simply wasn't educated enouhg. But HERE this guy is still and again calling all the diphthongs "long vowels." What is going on? Diphthong means TWO SOUNDS if I am not mistaken.
I agree ... For me too it is a bit weird ... Long vowel : aa like in the finnish word Kiitos (thank you) and diphtong like the spanish word Causa or finnish word Nainen (woman) ... Let's hope someone explains it.
But he never talks about diphthongs, he talks about long vowels... you know like vowel number 1 /i:/ or 7 /ɑː/
Of course language is the wonderous invention by man !
Ya you are right
There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. However, about 2,000 of those languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers.
🏴🏴
A good view
All of you critics need to take a break. Take a little time to really relax then watch this again....it is really instructive...
"Spoons!" LIKE
starting reminds me Steve Trabajo😂
Nice one - סרטון מעולה
Really? You believe him? Jewish believe is. . . God send down 4 letters first. Aleph. Bay. Jeem Daal.
Someone discovered talking makes them money. hahahaha
Has anyone ever thought how much less wars we would’ve had if everyone spoke the same language?
Name a war fought over not understanding. hahahaha
If it wasn’t caused by misunderstanding..
Then it was fuelled by religion.
And yes, the 1969 war Honduras and El Salvador had over a football game counts as religion also.😆
@@anttikalpio4577 They understood everything.
Wrong thought. Germans killed millions of Germans in RELIGIOUS WARS .. and they all spoke the same language; but one side was Evangelicals and the other Catholics.
Try asthyadhya of panini, brhami , pali and Indian signs and designs
Why we don’t use the same language?
そですね．But I think it’s just the result of a random causation originated from our history (i.e. the day when humans walked out of Africa in different directions). 语言的历史很有意思。
The language history is also the human history, isn’t it?
It’s wonderful opinion.
こうやっていろんな言語で会話できるのって素敵ですね。
It’s great we can talk via various languages😊
emoticon/emoji is almost language,I think😆
funny enough, the discussion here nicely demonstrates a point in david's talk that anyone who speaks also feels to be an expert linguist ;)
anyway, good talk. languages are fascinating portal to human mind and society.
Interesting...but saying "language" when hearing a bad word is like saying "transportation" when getting hit by a car.
What is a bad word?
But, man, I like my imperialism! Everyone should speak Gork!
You can’t think without language
I always believe That God greatest gift for us is our free will ,the ability to think ,and the ability to speak.Thats why human is the highest form of animals created by God.Even though we human has the ability to speak the ability to communicate we should use a universal language to be understood by more people.If a person knows how to Speak The universal language English he is allright but if he speaks more languages like Spanish,French,Arabic,Mandarin,Japanese, those languages spoken in the continent of Africa then whoever speaks more languages beside ENGLISH that person could travel the world and that person could communicate to a diverse group of people which is to his advantage .Sad to say that I only know English and Pilipino.I only know 4 dialects in my native country.I understood the words in Spanish but cant speak the language.In conclusion it is better for a person to speak more languages besides English to be understood better by more people.
This guy is omega butthurt that he’s not THE go-to guy on language. I hate the idea that “just if you have spoken a language doesn’t mean you know anything about language.” Experts help tease out information from language that others may not think about. It’s a different viewpoint. That’s all. As a city planner you’re an egotist if you think “nobody but me understands city planning.” Have you ever lived in a city? Then you understand how to plan one, i.e. there should be a traffic light here because it’s dicey without one during most hours. Whether or not you’re a city planner does not mean that you are the only one who can use deductive reasoning to come to informed decisions on bettering a city. Same goes for anything.
Nice example, but what if you're wrong? What if putting a traffic light there actually makes things worse, in a way that is contrary to what people would expect? What if all your expectations as someone who lives in the city turn out to be completely wrong? What if, while fixing the problem at one place, it creates several others at other places that nobody would have thought of? Well, except for city planners, because it's their fucking job...
You need city planners for those reasons. They have data, they have knowledge, about the way groups of people, cities, tend to work, and it's knowledge that random people who are merely living in a city don't have if they haven't read books and whatnot about the topic, as it is often knowledge that isn't intuitive.
It seems simple, it seems intuitive, but you would be surprised how those things can often not be simple and intuitive.
I've believed plenty of crap about language in my life, the kind of things that pretty much everyone who is not a linguist believes, the kind of things that seem very obvious... and yet, when I started to actually get into linguistics, I realized how wrong I was... and sometimes, in ways that retrospectively seem so obvious, it's almost embarrassing.
The metaphor with the surgeon is a good one. Every human has organs, but would you trust anybody but a surgeon to manipulate your internal organs? I mean, duh, you just have to make sure the bits are connected and it doesn't bleed to much, right?
Many, many people cross bridges. Would you trust anybody but engineers to build them? I mean, duh, it's just putting a few pillars and the road on top of it or something, it's certainly not that complicated, right?
And, I mean, I've seen a rocket in action, it doesn't seem too complicated; I just have to make sure something goes on fire at the back of it to propel it, right?
Like, OBVIOUSLY the young don't know how to speak anymore, OBVIOUSLY English comes from German/Latin, OBVIOUSLY English is the simplest/hardest language ever, OBVIOUSLY spelling things wrong means you're an idiot...
Many people believe what I just said. Way too many people. Maybe you believe some of those things. I certainly did in the past. It's all wrong, though. Demonstrably wrong. It's so easy to demonstrate it's wrong, it's almost insulting. It's like only linguists know how wrong those statements are. Why do so many people believe it?
Maybe because biases are a thing? Maybe because human logic has flaws? Maybe because they lack knowledge, as well? Maybe that's why we invented the scientific method, and the different methods used in different fields to collect data, I wonder? Maybe that's why we need experts, be it in physics, medicine, or linguistics?
And, I mean, thanks to this *lovely* Dunning-Kruger effect, people who know little about some topic tend to be overconfident about their knowledge on that topic, which DEFINITELY makes me wary of anybody who says they don't really need a city planner to plan their city...
He's not butt hurt. He's just tired of the bullcrap people say about language and linguistics. I am too, and I'm not even a linguist. And I mean, for fuck's sake, Neil just fucking insulted the whole body of experts in linguistics; how can you not be upset about that? I'm sure even cryptographers, who were the ones praised, actually facepalmed at that one.
Our greatest invention is fire
Really? What about lightning.
@@muhash50 What ??? We didn't invent lightning ??!!
@@Sneed_formerly_chucks agriculture lead to civilisation, which up until recently was a bad thing as it brought violence, mass extinction and the spread of disease
@@Sneed_formerly_chucks Only recently has it started making some of our lives better than that of the nomads which once existed.
@@nicholasjackson106 lol
If you hate yourself, become someone else.
- Work on raising your income.
- Let go of self-destructive mindsets.
- Diet and exercise until you look and feel great.
In a couple years, you won’t recognize the person you once were...
And that’ll be a good thing.
@@nuitNo.6 hate here is not hateful hate it's the power to change , and I think some how we all need to change ourselves to a better version.. don't you agree
I hate hate!
Only problem is WE DID NOT INVENT LANGUAGE.
Sure? I thought this guy invented it
@@manueldecesar7781 lol
Language.., harumph. clearly this guy has never played a precision bass through a vintage svt!
Where's the part where he says why laguage is not just a tool? Because it seems to me, it's just a tool.
No mention of body language at all,action speak louder than word.
Body language is overrated
Am I the only one that wanted to pull all my hair out and roll around on shards of glass until I lost consciousness listening to this guy talk ?
Your not
I thought he was funny 🤨
🦋so important to stop being selfish it’s ok to not know
Call grant anderson aka 3blue1brown for talk
Why are linguists always so upset that other people want to talk about their field? It's unique to them - mathematicians don't get upset when someone wants to talk about maths academically - they embrace it!
Because people are wrong and think they're right, and they show absolutely no sign of humility. Some will even say linguists are wrong or useless, as demonstrated by our good friend Neil in his tweet. It gets fucking annoying.
Why i dont care any of this chats??
Actually language is the problem. I spent 30 days in a monastery where no one spoke. For the first two days it was quite hard but on day 3 I realize that speaking was completely unnecessary. We can communicate on a level Beyond verbal the benefits of not speaking for 30 days. Was absolutely phenomenal. Upon my return to normal society I reduced my verbal communication by 50%. And still maintain a very normal life.
Language is not the problem. Speaking without saying anything, speaking for the sake of speaking, is the real problem. And while it is quite the experience to try to find other ways to communicate, you can never get to the level of complexity language allows us to communicate. Simplicity has its benefits, but complexity too.
Are you seriously claiming that language is a terrible tool? Language is the way we are able to communicate ideas to eschother in a way that we would otherwise be unable to do. And language is for communication, that’s essentially what we use it for and why we have it. We are able to use it for other things, but communication is the reason we have language. That’s not to say that if you’re an English speaker you need not bother learning a different language, I think it helpful and useful and important thing to do. But language is fundamentally a tool for communication, which we also use for other things.
I also think that saving languages is good and nice, but i hate it when politicians use languages to rile up nationalist sentiments, like when some petitioned to get cornish on the street signs in cornish. Cornish is long dead, and to try and revive it is unnecessary and overly costly. I don’t want any language to die, and it’s a pity when one does. But that’s all, a pity. Not the end of the world, and we should not treat it as such
Ah, finally a negative comment I can get behind.
#teamtrees
Ha. Thought it said lasagna.
There is a crucial point missing: we have traded language against perception. The more we speak, the more restricted we get in terms of observation, perception. We see the downsides beside the advantages today, societywise..There is something deeply superficial about language.
yes, I agree ... Also: languages are not precise enough, many ideas/philosophies can not be completely or at all be explained because of that.
I don't know if language is superficial, but without more details, this conversation does seem like it is...
Could you please give examples?
I get it...he is lecturing, not giving a presentation. Knowing that will give you a better insight...
Come to india if u wana see real languages ,,we have 1000+ languages
nah AC is greater.
I said this when I was 10...
I said that when I was 10...
Too bad are ancestors couldn’t just keep the same language
No. That's the whole point. Diversity informs us more about how the human mind works than a single one could. Ancient or modern.
More people should learn English, including Americans.
I knows English jk
Lol
😘👍
Language is representation of Human perception or say reality yet not fully known.
Mahavira said " From the truth, language returns not other way round".
Yet What languages means or same language in different fields or context means is the Language Games of which we are all part of - Wittgenstein.
언어중에 한국어가 최고야 세종대왕 만세
I heard a whole lot of nothing...
Any INDIANS here👍✨✨
Language is in our genes. We even evolved vocal cords. Funny how the expert didn't mention that.
Dolphins can transmit images through sound. I wouldn’t consider language an invention but an emerging property of consciousness, which is not unique to humans.
(He) taught him eloquence (55:4) Quran
Except for the fact that we didn’t invent it...
You are right
Ok... He antagonises alot of people, then Linguistics is amazing, then... I stopped watching.
I know linguistics is great (I saw some Talks before, and that's why I was watching this one) but he takes to long to get to the point AND (half way in) he STILL hasn't explain or given an example of why Linguistics is so amazing, and beautiful, and a real contribute to society.
Instead of enbilish his subject he degraded others... That's not a Talk I wanna ear.
everybody make tree videos .. ted language.. #teamtrees
We cannot confirm for a fact if "humans" taught themselves language or not, therefore we cannot presume that humans invented it.
Too much bla, bla, without a clear sense of direction. Surprisingly chaotic coming from a linguist
Unsurprising to me.
The irony is strong here... 🤨
Language is not a human invention
1990s called and they want their hairstyle back.
Game of Thrones is the best
The question in the title assumes facts not in evidence. You cannot say why language is humanity's greatest invention without first proving that humans did, in fact, create language. We did not.
@@existenceisillusion6528 You used language to say there's no such thing as language.
Let that one just hang there for a minute (or, are minutes not real either?).
@@existenceisillusion6528 Well, I appreciate your comment, and the clarification. Because of it, I am able to see, and appreciate the humor. Like doing a rewind. So, in all honesty, thank you.
Looking back, I can see the humor you were aiming at, but you did not do the generally accepted things people do on the internet, and in text, to indicate that it was a joke. The words alone were not enough to make any judgment. Hence my response.
@@yardmasterswealtheducation8424
Did you mean an emoji like this
🐸 ?
more like writing
Is he convincing us or himself?
14:13 That is definitely a very wrong use of the word 'literally'.... especially for someone who makes new languages.... 😅 Just sayin'
Because he knows it is not actually wrong, because being "wrong" isn't an actual linguistic concept. And also because he knows languages evolve and words change meaning, especially since he has applied this idea to his own creations. Just sayin'
bold claim.
You have to wonder about the title- that’s rather presumptuous, base thinking.
A lecture on what is so obvious that it is pointless to have this padantic word waster discuss it. Actually he needs to learn how to learn how to speak concisely and clearly rather than the verbal garbage he is spoutung.
"he needs to learn how to learn how to speak"
Now that's what I call irony
After a day of interacting with Trump supporters I still think the shower was the greatest invention. Language needs improvement. Religion is humanities worst invention.
lol! perfect
Lefty: I lived under left regime in Europe ... and it is proven in practice that such systems do not work. Trump is right in defending capitalist traditions.
@@zakorektnost Trump is not defending capitalism. It's ludicrous to think he has any policy beyond reality TV like reactions, self enrichment, self aggrandizement , or petty tantrums. If you believe that blue collar workers cannot have healthcare, millions don't in the US, then you're a Republican.
Language is an invention? Or an evolutionary adaption? Please explain when it was invented smart guy 😆
Languages are not invented by humans
It's offered by Almighty Allah..
No one have power to invent Languages ...
It's only because of God..
Language was from GOD!!!
Language is not an invention!
Well, depending on how you define "invention", I guess you're not wrong
And what is the point? Wa all know that. This is supposed to be a NEW ide worth spreading.