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.

Speakers who have grown up in the American community unconsciously know its rules about taking turns in conversations-in the same way that they know the rules of grammar and the rules about appropriate speech in various situations.

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

In place of science, the Eskimo has only magic to bridge the gap between what he can understand and what is not known. Without magic, his life would be one long panic.

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

At every moment of his life the Shoshone must be careful to observe the complicated folkways of his group, to do reverence to superhuman powers, to remember the courtesies and obligations of family, to pay homage to certain sacred plants, or to avoid particular places.