§7
A language user come to the practice of speech by doing things like uttering the word for an object when the teacher points at it and repeating words after the teacher. - Speech-like processes.
Why 'speech-like'?
- Is it not full-blown speech because the words uttered do not yet perform their roles in the practice?
In §7 Wittgenstein introduces the term 'language-games' and says that it will be used to speak about:
- (i) the 'games' by which children learn their language (presumably repeating words after a teacher would count as one of these games).
- (ii) primitive languages (e.g. the 'language' from §2)
- (iii) language and the activities into which it is woven.
It occurs to me that it is a bit strange that Wittgenstein would introduce a technical term but use it in three different ways. Why is this? - I'm not sure.
I'll attempt an answer to my question and would be interested to see what people think.
ReplyDelete- Perhaps Wittgenstein is using the term language-game in these three different ways to point to the fact that the line between them is blurry. One of the arguments that Wittgenstein wants to make in these passages is that the diversity of kinds of sentence and word is not something fixed (§23) and that a language could consist of only orders and reports (§19) or questions answered with 'yes' or 'no'. - A primitive language could be a complete language. - And so the line between (ii) and (iii), at least, is blurry/changeable.