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Essential Features of Language

I rephrased these where several people said similar things. I asked you to think about what some of the defining features of a natural human language are. Here are some of your thoughts (a few of these are probably the same point, expressed from a diverse perspective):

• used to communicate meanings
• denotes objects outside the agent
• used for specific purposes
• Compositional elements
• Shared elements (several people know the elements); there are at least two speakers
• Elements have meaning
• Finite set of formation rules
• Is used interactively
• Capacity for lies
• Transmission medium like sound
• Arbirary references
• Reproducibility (utterances can be reproduced)
• Exists independently of any one speaker
• A large vocabulary
• (At least sometimes) it is successful

Also we wrote on what distinguishes human language.

• Can express emotions
• Cand describe time and space
• Has a rule system, or logical rules, or grammar
• (Some) elements of language have arbitrary roles
• Elements are discrete
• Has a lexicon
• Allows formation of new words
• Separation of production and understanding functions
• Degree of expressive power (human languages differ only in degree on this view)
• Cultural context that determines meanings
• Abstract concepts
• Change through cultural interactions
• Distal reference
• Self-referential (language about language)
• Can be taught and learned (by humans)
• Ability to form new utterances
• Sarcasm
• Can be written
• Tense
• Large vocubulary/lexicon

Obviously there's some overlap and diversity here. Some of you feel that there is nothing special about human languages, also.