What we call language is something more specific than communication. Language is about sharing what’s in our minds: stories, opinions, questions, the past or future, imagined times or places, ideas. It is fundamentally open-ended, and can be used to say an unlimited number of things. So what does language mean for humanity, and how did we come to have it?

我们所说的语言是比交流更具体的东西。语言就是分享我们心中的东西：故事、观点、问题、过去或未来、想象中的时间或地点、想法。从根本上说，它是开放性的，可以用来说无限多的东西。那么，语言对人类意味着什么，我们又是如何拥有它的？