Cover of The Search for the Perfect Language

The Search for the Perfect Language

by Umberto Eco · 1993

The Making of Europe series

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From the early Dark Ages to the Renaissance it was widely believed that the language spoken in the Garden of Eden was a perfect language, expressing all possible things, and that all current languages were its decadent descendants. This is an investigation into the history of this idea.

Subject
historyphilosophyliterary criticismscience
Themes
writers
Setting
EuropeItaly
Audience
adult
Length
long · 400 pages
Form
essays

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“If it was the language that hooked you, try one of these.”

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