ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, we introduced that language emerged as the medium of information exchange between humans. Any language is an encoding of information: it is composed of individual units—letters, words, or Arabic numerals—and an encoding algorithm—a collection of grammar rules. When we communicate an idea, our brains apply grammar encodings on these units to extract comprehensible sentences from abstract thought. If the audience understands the same language, they can use the same rules to decode a string of words back into abstract thought. Thus, human language can be described in terms of information theory and mathematics. While many animals have means of communication, only mankind uses language to encode information.
