Related to the question about whether facial expressions are universal.

Are there words/verbal expressions/sounds that exist in every language and have the same meaning in every language?

(I’d also count words that are very similar.)

One example, that I believe is universal is M followed by a vowel followed by another M and optionally another vowel, meaning “Mother”.

At least in any language I know, this seems to hold true (mom, Mama, mamma, Mami, …).

Any other examples?

Edit: To clarify, I am not looking for very popular words that have been imported into most languages (like how almost everyone worldwide knows what Ketchup is), but about words that are “native” to humans. So if you pick someone from an uncontacted native tribe and tell them nothing, they would be able to understand/use that word/sound/verbal expression.

  • Square Singer@feddit.deOP
    3·
    2 years ago

    Regarding the “mother” example: Most languages also feature words that describe “mother” but don’t follow the pattern (e.g. “mother”).

    I meant the word that is used by babies/small children and in connection with babies/small children.

    Does this apply to “äiti”? (Serious question, I have no idea of the Finnish language).

    I always figured it’s because it’s one of the first sounds a baby can consciously make.

    Universal grammar sounds very interesting, and the criticism is a well. But yeah, it’s kinda hard to falsify this.

    On the other hand, these basic elements that universal grammar identifies seem to me (=>not a linguist) like something you can’t do without. I wouldn’t know what a language would do e.g. without a noun/verb separation. There are things and there are actions, which are two fundamentally different concepts. Makes sense that this separation exists in every language.

    • tyo_ukko
      1·
      2 years ago

      I don’t know if Finnish kids say “m”-words for their mother, even when small. My kids used to say something like “mama” (or rather “mämä” where “ä” is like “a” in “apple”) to mean basically “I want” and pointing at everything. Very hard to say.

      I wouldn’t know what a language would do e.g. without a noun/verb separation. There are things and there are actions, which are two fundamentally different concepts. Makes sense that this separation exists in every language.

      I was thinking about this, and a plausible scenario I came up with would be very simple language, where you would only use nouns in a simple setting. Like “food, mouth” would mean eating, “food, storage” would mean store the food etc. You certainly couldn’t build very complex discussions, but some information could be passed. But it’s just a layman’s thought experiment, for whatever it’s worth.