What is a ‘Word’?

Particularly, a spoken word, as opposed to a written word. The rules of writing are not the subject of this inquiry.

In its simplest form, a word is a sound –a sound which contains meaning; a sound which indicates an action or idea.

Actions are concrete –to move is to move, to breathe is to breathe, to speak is to speak. Once a word for an action is agreed upon, there does not need to be much further consideration to the meaning of that word. There may be thought given to the manner or quality of the action, but the action and the sound or ‘word’ indicating it are straightforward. For example, one can run slowly, or speak softly, or speak rudely, or breathe loudly. The slowness of one’s running, or the softness or rudeness of their speech, are matters of context and perspective: running slowly compared to what, or, speaking rudely in what manner, situation, to whom? These are aspects of actions which are debatable. However, actions in themselves are unquestionable.

As far as ideas, I suggest that a word is a sound indicating an idea, as opposed to a thing. Things, like actions, may seem obvious and certain, but actually are more elusive in meaning. There is a simplification process that we commonly ascribe to, naturally, and for good/practical purposes. A seed is a seed, a cat is a cat, a desktop computer is a desktop computer, a person is a person. It makes sense that we can understand these terms at face-value and converse smoothly and efficiently.

Yet, at what point does a seed become a flower? What kind of cat? At what point did cats become a unique species, distinguishable from dogs, and bunnies? What kind of person? What makes a person a person? Are only humans people, or are other living organisms kinds of people? What about AI programs and robots? Are they, or could they be, or should they be, considered as people –especially as technology advances? If so, at what point would such machines be considered a kind of ‘person’?

These questions are to illustrate the concept that the difference between things and ideas is vague. Often times, things consist of a number of aspects, characteristics –more things. For example: people are comprised of cells, organs, bones, skin, hair, etc… and all ‘things’, at least material things, are made up of atoms.

Also, things are often identified by their actions and functions. For example, a pen is generally understood as an ink-based writing utensil. However, there are many kinds of ink-based writing utensils, yet they are all considered as pens, including quills, which are feathers dipped in ink. If a stick was used to write in sand or soil, and became specially designated for the purpose, could/would/should it be called a kind of pen?

Consider a pin (p.i.n. as opposed to pen). A pin is essentially anything that is used to pin something. The thing is defined by its function. In that sense, a pin is an idea more than a thing. Even if it were a needle, it is a pin when it is understood to serve the purpose of a pin.

Or the concept of a weapon… there are guns and swords and other things which have been made specifically as weapons, yet a weapon can be essentially anything used for the purpose of violence. Professional boxers and martial arts masters in some scenarios have to register their hands as weapons. Or, say, a hammer. Suddenly the sword or gun is serving as a hammer: a tool for striking, prying, and driving nails. Or, suddenly the hammer, the tool for striking and so on, becomes a weapon, in a different circumstance. Even the scientific name for many species includes the function or activity that creature is known for. For example, humans are classified as “homo sapien-sapien”, which translates from Greek into ‘man who thinks’.

I think that should clarify the reason I said things can be perhaps more accurately thought of as ideas than objects. ‘Things’ are a combination of objects and functions.

So, we’ve said that words are sounds which express an action or idea –and we have talked about actions and their concreteness, and we’ve talked about things and their rather malleable natures, their idea-ness.

There are other kinds of ideas, which are not ‘things’. These are matters such as Love, Beauty, Justice, Good & Bad, Courage, Compassion, Dignity, so on and so forth.

Obviously, the meanings and extents of those things are abstract. The definitions of those concepts has been debated for millennia.

We’ll steer clear for now from digging into any of those elusive terms in particular. Maybe on another occasion we can take the scalpel and magnifying glasses of reason and intuition to them, but for now we’ll stay focused on the topic at hand, namely, the meaning of “words”.

I think it’s worth pointing out that such idealistic concepts or principles are generally not thought of as actions or ideas, but as concepts and experiences. It should be safe to say that all that we think and feel has its physical and neuro correlative –some bodily, bio-chemical process that reflects/enables/translates the experience. Nonetheless, or perhaps all the more importantly, those lofty notions alluded to are often thought of as elements of being that transcend language, and perhaps even true, or complete, understanding. In pretty much all the religions they’re thought of as divine qualities shared with mortal beings.

However, think it worth noting that while words such as Love, Hate, Dignity, Courage are generally thought of as ideas, or feelings, they can perhaps be more usefully, or accurately, conceived of as a kind of action.

Courage is to act in spite of fear and doubt, against whatever odds, to pursue the true or high path for that individual. To hate is not just to want the end of something, to want something to fall or be defeated, but to actively hope, to put energy into, and act for that end. And to love is not just to feel a liking or admiration for something, but to invest in the betterment of that thing or person, to hope and act in a manner which expresses desire, affection, care, and to cherish.

While a word such as ‘Justice’ may be more difficult to encapsulate, more challenging to realize, than say, Love or Hate, it is still nonetheless a thing which is enacted and experienced. Justice is something done, as opposed to something merely conceptualized. It may be debated what is truly ‘just’, which is a more focused topic for another inquiry, yet whether a state or deed is just or unjust is something known through direct experience or action.

Good and Bad or Evil are similar in this regard. Although, granted, they are arguably more subjective than Love or Hate, as something must be good or bad “for/because/to the ends of” a subject or cause. For example, if one intends to hunt a deer, to thwart the hunt would be ‘bad’ for the hunter, though ‘good’ for the deer.

Ultimate, or objective, Good or Evil are human ideas/expressions, as it is more easily argued that nature and all therein is simply what it is, neither good nor bad, or perhaps it is all good, for that it exists, unless one were to posit that existence is in itself bad. They are experiences relative to human thinking, unless one were to invoke a religious paradigm, wherein a God or Gods have made some things inherently or actually Good or Evil. Even then, it would be with regard to whatever divinity’s ordinance, which, even if it is the ultimate and inescapable state of reality, could be argued to be subject to whatever is the nature or will of the divine. Regardless of whether referring to practical experiences, such as the attainment of a goal, the increase of enjoyment and pleasure, or the cessation and mitigation of pain and discomfort, Good and Evil are a matter of things done, attitudes held and intentions that motivate individuals to move. In this light, Good and Bad are concepts understood, experienced, realized, through action.

This moves such meaningful experiences and concepts from a place of ideas and feelings into the realm of tangibility and action.

To recap and summarize, Words are (human) sounds, specific audio symbols, with meanings.
They can be categorized into two groups: ideas and actions.

Ideas include the realms of objects or things. Actions include the realms of movement and experience.