The almost-words that pepper informal speech are a critical but still mysterious element of human conversation. Some scholars think they might offer a hint of how human ancestors communicated. Rarely appearing in print, they had been largely ignored. But recordings underscored their ubiquity in speech, including certain notorious conversations. Just like that.
Some scholars consider such sounds the most primitive elements of language.
But pronounced in midsentence, they can be rich with significance. E-mail this story to a friend. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of the Lexington Herald-Leader is prohibited.