In another life, I was a high school math teacher, which meant my major in college was math education. One type of math problem I encountered both at college and when I was teaching was figuring out how many possible combinations of various things were possible. So, for example, if you have a drawing for the numbers 1-6, you have 6 possible numbers you can get on the first draw. If the number is not replaced after the drawing, then on the second draw, you can get five possible numbers. If the number IS replaced, then you still have six possible numbers. So, in one drawing with six people where the number is not replaced, you have a possible 720 (6x5x4x3x2x1) ways in which the numbers can be drawn. However, in one drawing with six people where the number IS replaced, the number of possibilities increase to 46,656 (6x6x6x6x6x6).
I would assume (although I haven’t looked it up) that the range of sounds the human voice can make is close to infinite. But somewhere along the line, as we were evolving, humans started associating certain sounds with certain meanings. The number of possible combinations of sounds was (I am again assuming) close to infinite but over time in different groups of humans, the sounds used to express meaning became standardized, and language was born.
Keeping both those thoughts in the back of your mind, now, take a minute to appreciate the genius, whoever he or she was, who invented the Western alphabet. Other systems of writing stemming from pictographs, such as Egyptian hieroglyphics and Babylonian cuneiform, were in use, but weren’t universal. Some unknown person (a Phoenician, historians are pretty certain) decided to associate a limited number of symbols with specific sounds, and the idea caught on, revolutionizing written communications in the Western world. Because the alphabet has a limited number of symbols, the number of possibilities to create words was not infinite, although still incredibly high. Ideas could not only be expressed but recorded.
And from that critical insight, developed the English language that we use today, in all of its glorious richness and versatility. That's a good thought to take with you into a Monday, isn't it?
And the need for more letters keeps expanding. Hebrew has 22 letters, Greek 24, American English 26. French has the same 26, but adds accents for many letters, expanding the number of sounds. Welch goes with 29 and so on and so forth.
ReplyDeleteEven with "only" 26 letters, the number of possible words without repeating a letter (i.e. your draw without replacement) is
26 one-letter words
650 two-letter words
15,600 three-letter words
358,800 four-letter words
7,893,600 five-letter words (most of which we'd have a hard time pronouncing).
And if you want an actual 15-letter words without repeating a letter, you have uncopyrightable!
Time for me to stop procrastinating and return to what I should be doing.
Between you and Jim, Nancy, you've boggled my mind anew over the magic of language. A great way to start the week. Thanks!
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