What would YOU do?

[Xing]

I think arpee might be confusing words with ideas.

Maybe. I'm not really clear about whether the 10-words limits is really a limit on language, or a general limit on cognitive ability.

Perhaps one could imagine a hypothetical scenario, in which human had been scattered around, and the only means of communication would be some device that could handle no more than 10 symbols.

[Rainchild]

Yes, Arpee's apparent presuppositions about ancient times don't hold water. However, suppose we revise his scenario thus: There are people whose combined motor and intellectual abilities are so severe, and whose circumstances are so impoverished, that they might only be able to use ten symbols even if their brains were swimming with far more than ten concepts.

Let's call one such afflicted person Casey. He cannot walk, work with his hands, or speak. He might live in a village so poor--and so remote--that the kind of technology that Stephen Hawking uses to communicate would be unavailable. What's more, unlike Hawking, Casey has some intellectual disabilities.

Lucky for Casey, he's a little more mobile that Dr. Hawking is at present. So Casey's clever brother attaches a pointing stick to Casey's forehead, and places a board in front of him with ten symbols. Alas, Casey's trembling neck does not permit him to point at more than ten symbols set before him--that would require fine movements of which he his not capable.

In this scenario, Casey's ten symbols had better stand for things that he wants and needs, so that he can use his board and forehead pointing stick to ask for them independently.

Yes (which would probably indicate acceptance of a thing offered in this case).
No (which would probably indicate refusal in this case).
Help relieve my cramp.
Water.
Milk.
Chicken.
Beef.
Veggies.
Blanket.
Bathroom.

--Jim G.

P.S. Arpee, for you I recommend John W. Weilgart's "aUI, the Language of Space." It attempts to describe a language that is built up from a dozen-or-so symbols, and that purports to be almost instantly learnable. Weilgart's linguistics are atrocious, but his book is a genuine curiosity.

P.P.S. Xingxosa, I'm a little confused about the nature of the device that you describe. Recall that Morse Code has only two symbols, three if you count the space. Also recall talking drums, and homing pigeons, both of which allow for the transmission of full blown language over long distances.

[Jarhead]

I would get a stick and train them to understand directions that I give by gesturing.

[Visinoid]

I would get a stick and train them to understand directions that I give by gesturing.

We have a winrar. It's even more pleasing to see you didn't need a wall of text to explain it.

[TBPO]

1. Human - a
2. Animal/meat - i
3. Plant/food - u
4. Inanimate - o /ɒ/
5. Water - e /ə/
6. Verb (makes next word an verb) - ta
7. Injury - ti
8. Meeting - tu
9. Good thing - to /tɒ/
10. Bad thing - te /tə/

/t/ can be pronounced as any consonant except of semivowels.
VSO - Past
SVO - Present
SOV - Future
VO - Imperative
Question is marked with intonation.
Pronouns are formed by pointing the finger at something specific while pronouncing a specific word.
(Pointing is written with {})

Did you eat an apple? - Ta u a{you} u?
Kill this animal! - Ta ti i{animal}!
This meat is safe. - Ta to i{meat}.

(Notice that there are two words for to eat: one for eating meat, another for eating fruits and vegetables.)

[Arayaz]

1. Human - a
2. Animal/meat - i
3. Plant/food - u
4. Inanimate - o /ɒ/
5. Water - e /ə/
6. Verb (makes next word an verb) - ta
7. Injury - ti
8. Meeting - tu
9. Good thing - to /tɒ/
10. Bad thing - te /tə/

/t/ can be pronounced as any consonant except of semivowels.
VSO - Past
SVO - Present
SOV - Future
VO - Imperative
Question is marked with intonation.
Pronouns are formed by pointing the finger at something specific while pronouncing a specific word.
(Pointing is written with {})

Did you eat an apple? - Ta u a{you} u?
Kill this animal! - Ta ti i{animal}!
This meat is safe. - Ta to i{meat}.

(Notice that there are two words for to eat: one for eating meat, another for eating fruits and vegetables.)

Why on earth are you posting this here?

[lurker]

1. Human - a
2. Animal/meat - i
3. Plant/food - u
4. Inanimate - o /ɒ/
5. Water - e /ə/
6. Verb (makes next word an verb) - ta
7. Injury - ti
8. Meeting - tu
9. Good thing - to /tɒ/
10. Bad thing - te /tə/

/t/ can be pronounced as any consonant except of semivowels.
VSO - Past
SVO - Present
SOV - Future
VO - Imperative
Question is marked with intonation.
Pronouns are formed by pointing the finger at something specific while pronouncing a specific word.
(Pointing is written with {})

Did you eat an apple? - Ta u a{you} u?
Kill this animal! - Ta ti i{animal}!
This meat is safe. - Ta to i{meat}.

(Notice that there are two words for to eat: one for eating meat, another for eating fruits and vegetables.)

Why on earth are you posting this here?

I think it’s supposed to answer the OP regarding a 10 word vocabulary. What I want to know is why all the thread necromancy with this user’s threads? OP hasn’t been on here in over 10 years.

[Khemehekis]

What I want to know is why all the thread necromancy with this user’s threads? OP hasn’t been on here in over 10 years.

It started when I made a post linking Arayaz to Arpee's threads: https://cbbforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=330534#p330534