Full Idea
The essence of language is a picture of the essence of the world.
Gist of Idea
Language pictures the essence of the world
Source
Ludwig Wittgenstein (Philosophical Remarks [1930], p.85), quoted by J. Alberto Coffa - The Semantic Tradition from Kant to Carnap 17
Book Reference
Coffa,J.Alberto: 'The Semantic Tradition from Kant to Carnap' [CUP 1993], p.326
A Reaction
Hence for a long time the study of language seemed to be the way to do metaphysics. Now they study mathematical logic, with the same hope.