Coyote’s trick

Photo by Ben Hershey

Grammaticalization often corresponds to language change processes where linguistic expressions shift from objective to subjective meanings.

In the beginning, before there were people, the world was made of language. 

The buds on springtime hawthorns were unvoiced plosives. The caterpillars on their branches, focused interrogatives.

Tortoise was a non-finite clause.

One day, he decided to make people.

‘What will you make them from?’ Coyote asked. 

‘Water,’ said Tortoise. He thought it a good choice because it flowed within and around all the world’s linguistic forms. 

But the water people wouldn’t hold their shape. Making one was easy enough, but when he tried to make more than one, they merged into one another and lost their individuality.

Coyote laughed at Tortoise’s failed attempts. 

‘To keep each of your people unique,’ he advised, ‘you’ll need to make containers for them.’

‘What should I use to make the containers?’ Tortoise asked.  

‘Language,’ said Coyote.

So Tortoise set off on a long journey, gathering samples of the earth’s language from all the four directions. When he returned, he ground the language into dust. He moistened the resulting powder to make clay, which he shaped into vessels. These contained his new people beautifully. 

Pleased with his work, he settled in for a much needed rest. 

While Tortoise slept, Coyote crept in secret to the place where the new people lived. 

‘I know something,’ he whispered, ‘that Tortoise hopes you’ll never discover.’

The people looked up in surprise. 

Gently Coyote reached inside their mouths and scraped out some dried clay with his sharp claw. The fine dust in his outstretched paw caught glints of sunlight and sparkled before them. 

‘This is language,’ he said. ‘You’re the only creatures who have it. With language, you can rule the world.’

When he woke up from his long sleep, Tortoise saw the results of Coyote’s trickery, and he despaired.

Would you like to know more about this story? Watch the video I made about it. I also discuss ‘Coyote’s trick’ in Episode 64 of Structured Visions.