The Mystery of Language

Languages have always fascinated me. They are so intricate and complex. Each one is based on rules, yet exceptions are a part of those rules. I am often astounded by the mind entangling sophistication that each "code" of speech possesses.

When I am learning about the structure or grammatical rules for Latin, I often find myself thinking, "How could a single person create such a perfectly complete method of communication?" Yet then I remember that there was no individual, there was only God. He did not only design one language, but he also brought into existence all of the other languages known to man...at the exact same instance. I cannot fathom the confusion those present experienced when God changed the languages of the people at the tower of Babel. I wonder how I would feel if I began speaking words I had never heard before, and I could no longer understand my native tongue.

For me, one of the most interesting things about language is that languages influence one another. For instance, almost half of English is made up of Latin, while the remaining percent mostly comes from French, and German. Some examples I can think of for Latin influence is the word fercifer. It means scoundrel, and the word Lucifer is derived from it. Audio and Video come from the words audit and vidit, (The v is pronounced as a w) which are the words for hear and see. Finally, the English word for pulse is a form of the word pulsat, which means to beat.

As an aspiring author, I view the creation of words with the same awe that a biologist marvels at the intricacy of a cell. It is simply staggering that they were both made by the same creator. I am filled with a deep sense of comfort and love when I think about the detail God put into these wonders, for He cared so greatly about them, yet He treasures me so much more.