IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/h/spr/mgmchp/978-3-030-01645-6_5.html
   My bibliography  Save this book chapter

Language, Syntax, and Semantics for Describing Dynamics of Systems

In: Managing Complexity in Social Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph E. Mandl

    (University of Vienna, Mandl, Lüthi & Partner)

Abstract

Natural language, or ordinary language, is any system of communication that has evolved in humans through use and repetition without conscious planning or premeditation, says Wikipedia. Its purpose typically is that we can interact in more sophisticated ways than, say, wolves when hunting or bees when collecting nectar or fish when schooling. Natural languages are extremely flexible and so can be used for everything we are capable of interacting, communicating, and expressing. Yet in some domains, using natural language was found to be complicated or awkward, so our ancestors invented special purpose languages. These languages include not only mathematical notation, logical representation, and computer language but also musical notation. They have one common element: They are expressed and perceived visually rather than auditory—so-called semasiographic languages. Like natural languages, each has its specific syntax and semantics. Unlike bees that seem to know and understand their language from birth, we humans only come equipped with the capacity to learn languages.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph E. Mandl, 2019. "Language, Syntax, and Semantics for Describing Dynamics of Systems," Management for Professionals, in: Managing Complexity in Social Systems, chapter 5, pages 41-58, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:mgmchp:978-3-030-01645-6_5
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-01645-6_5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:mgmchp:978-3-030-01645-6_5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.