If a picture is worth a thousand words, can I turn one in for my English assignment?

What exactly is a word? The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, second Ed. (Unabridged of course) defines a word as follows. A word is “a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.”

It seems that with one sentence the dictionary has wiped out American Sign Language (ASL). The word on the left is neither written nor spoken but it acts as the principal carrier of meaning.

When does a symbol, icon, or gesture gain the status of a word? When does a picture of a fish become the word fish?

When do they cross over into a lexicon?

For instance if I write “I hate midterms. We get so much d@#% work I cannot think straight.” Did you understand all the words?” You are darn right you did. Everything in that sentence except the punctuation was a” written representation that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.”

So the next time I am in a club or crowded get together and an attractive lady gives me “the look” and then winks at me, I will not be wondering if that constituted a word, symbol, sign language or body language. I will just be trying to think of what words I can say to her and not sound like an idiot. Then when she tells me she was saying hi to the guy standing behind me I will go home thinking about how people should communicate more clearly and effectively. Then I will watch Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology