Chapter One, Questions 1-5

1. What does it mean to say that language is a "game"?
Language is game because, like a game, language has rules and a fixed number of pieces.

2. If language is a game, does that mean that conversation, based on language, is a game?
Yes, for the obvious reason that we used language in conversation, but also because when we talk we use the rules that we learn.

3. What other definitions of language does Farb offer?
He points out the importance of language to culture and society because language plays a key role in communication.

4. Defend the assertion that speech is the basis of "all the other hallmarks of our community".
From speech alone we get other important parts of a community. For example,sciences, customs, arts and law, to name a few. Speech is a way for us to communicate and we use speech to communicate laws and customs/beliefs to others and carry it from generation to generation.

5. What are the attributes of a game? What implication does language being a game have?
The implications of language being a game implies that there are rules to follow, there is structure. It also implies that there are "winners" and "losers", people that know how to use the language to their advantage and those that do not. The attributes to the game include 21 consonants, 9 vowels, 4 semivowels, 4 stresses, 4 pitches, 1 juncture and 3 terminal contours.