The possession of language, more than any other attribute, distinguishes humans from other animals. Language provides the basic tools for human creativity and, as a tool for communication, it is the fundamental building block of human culture. Yet language is a deeply paradoxical phenomenon. As humans, we are biologically programmed to learn language. Yet which language we learn is determined by our social experience.
Language is a powerful system of communication.
Yet it also is a primary tool for building boundaries between groups. Languages are always coherent and logical, yet they are in a constant state of change over time. Language is central to anthropological inquiry. Not only is an understanding of language necessary to communicate with our informants, but language is also a key to understanding the world from our informants' points of view. Because language is a way of coding experience and structuring one's understandings of the world, careful attention to language can provide important insights into cultural systems.