Book cover of Impossible Languages

Book description

An investigation into the possibility of impossible languages, searching for the indelible “fingerprint” of human language.

Can there be such a thing as an impossible human language? A biologist could describe an impossible animal as one that goes against the physical laws of nature (entropy, for example, or gravity). Are…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Impossible Languages as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I was stopped in my tracks by the unique approach that Moro takes: instead of the usual discussion of this or that language that actually exists, Moro examines what NEVER happens in human languages and what those boundaries can teach us.

I was mesmerized by how skillfully he bridges neuroscience and philosophy of language. The book pushed me to ask questions I had never considered before and forced me to challenge my own assumptions about what I thought I knew. 

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