Examining the Objective Essence of Language Through a Biblical Lens
Sean Madigan
May 2025 

In this paper, I explore what a theory of the essence of language might look like if we try to explain language by taking Genesis, the Gospel of John, and the natural sciences to all be true. In doing so, I come to the conclusion that much of the core properties of language (i.e. recursion, some aspects of semantic meaning, propositions, etc.) are objectively real, external to the human mind. Instead, these properties are part of the divine mind. Seen in this light, whatever makes “human language” language has not so much developed over time, but rather the biological mechanisms for interpreting and using the essence of language have developed over time. Along the way, I also explore other issues, such as the logos and the possibility of God’s incarnation providing humans with a way to access the divine knowledge of language.

Format:	[ pdf ]
Reference:	lingbuzz/009005 (please use that when you cite this article)
Published in:	University of New Hampshire
keywords:	language origins, theology, philosphy, logos, myth, semantic externalism, recursion, religion, semantics, syntax
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