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2604 | We must have expressive power BEFORE we learn language |
Full Idea: I am denying that one can learn a language whose expressive power is greater than that of a language that one already knows. | |||
From: Jerry A. Fodor (How there could be a private language [1975], p.389) | |||
A reaction: I presume someone who had a native language of limited vocabulary could learn a new language with a vast vocabulary. I can increase my expressive power with a specialist vocabulary (e.g. legal). |