An inability to communicate has little to do with international friction-as is seen in the special ferocity of wars fought between people who speak the same language.

An invention or new combination can be successful only if all if the elements necessary for the recombination are present in the culture.

Language does not stand still. Surprisingly, despite this knowledge, most speakers are fearful of change.

Marriage is simply an economic necessity, and so there are no elaborate courtship displays or marriage celebrations among the Eskimo.

The dictionary is a closed system in which someone interested in the meaning of a word can go around and around and end up exactly where he started, simply because words are defined in terms of other words, and these, in turn, are defined in terms of still other words.

The environment does not determine man's culture; it merely sets the outer limits and at the same time offers opportunities.

Food to a large extent is what holds a society together, and eating is closely linked to deep spiritual experiences.