---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have not suggested that the emergence…"
description: "\"I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain enabling an infinite array of structured e..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg"
---

#  I have not suggested that the emergence of language is…

![“I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain enabling an infinite array of structured expressions was in effect instantaneous. I have never heard of an alternative to this suggestion.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg)

> “I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain enabling an infinite array of structured expressions was in effect instantaneous. I have never heard of an alternative to this suggestion.”

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The brain’s capacity for language developed quickly, allowing endless structured expression, with no known alternative explanation.

**In simple terms:** Brain rewiring for language happened fast, enabling infinite expression.

Key Takeaway

Recognize rapid neural changes in language.

Themes

language neuroscience evolution

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- education
- AI language models
- speech therapy
- linguistic research

Key Concepts

cognitive flexibility syntax infinite expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How does rapid brain rewiring affect language learning?
- What evidence challenges this view?

A Different Perspective

Alternative theories exist but are less supported.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Emergence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergence/) [Emergence Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergence-language-1487159/) [Enabling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enabling/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [Instantaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instantaneous/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Instantaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-instantaneous-2277320/) [Suggested Emergence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggested-emergence-2277321/) [Suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestions/)

## Related quotes

> [It's commonly assumed that the emergence of language was a key element of the great leap. We of course know very little about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-commonly-assumed-that-the-emergence-of-language-was-a-key/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“After I nodded, she continued. “We can no longer express with words our emotional states, our revelations, our transformations. Words fail. We are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dielle-ciesco/after-i-nodded-she-continued-we-can-no-longer-express-with-words-our/)

[Dielle Ciesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dielle-ciesco/)

> [“The emergence of consciousness as an evolutionary event and the subsequent emergence of language have led to the idea of information. But we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edelman-gerald/the-emergence-of-consciousness-as-an-evolutionary-event-and-the/)

[Edelman Gerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edelman-gerald/)

> [Armed attack has a definition in international law. It means sudden, overwhelming, instantaneous ongoing attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/armed-attack-has-a-definition-in-international-law-it-means-sudden/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There isn't much doubt that like other animal societies, those of Homo sapiens involved plenty of cooperation, which might have been considerably enhanced, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-isn-t-much-doubt-that-like-other-animal-societies-those-of-homo/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [ALL gained in instantaneous procedure ... soon disappear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/all-gained-in-instantaneous-procedure-soon-disappear/)

[Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/)

> [Since the recording process is instantaneous, and the nature of the image such that it cannot survive corrective handwork, it is obvious that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/since-the-recording-process-is-instantaneous-and-the-nature-of-the/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [I love being spontaneous than instantaneous!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sweety/i-love-being-spontaneous-than-instantaneous/)

[Sweety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sweety/)

> [“Freedom is instantaneous the moment we accept things as they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maezen-miller/freedom-is-instantaneous-the-moment-we-accept-things-as-they-are/)

[Karen Maezen Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maezen-miller/)

> [The Red Cross in its nature, it aims and purposes, and consequently, its methods, is unlike any other organization in the country.It is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-barton/the-red-cross-in-its-nature-it-aims-and-purposes-and-consequently-its/)

[Clara Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-barton/)

> [“And what is an "instant" death anyway? How long is an instant? Is itone second? Ten? The pain of those seconds must have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-what-is-an-instant-death-anyway-how-long-is-an-instant-is-itone/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [It is always the instantaneous reaction to oneself that produces a photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frank/it-is-always-the-instantaneous-reaction-to-oneself-that-produces-a/)

[Robert Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frank/)

> [I' is merely one of the world's instantaneous spasms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-is-merely-one-of-the-world-s-instantaneous-spasms/)

[Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/)

> [The power of giving is instantaneous, continuous and eternal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-jamal/the-power-of-giving-is-instantaneous-continuous-and-eternal/)

[Azim Jamal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-jamal/)

> [I'm not convinced that the world is in any worse shape than it ever was. It's just that in this age of almost instantaneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/i-m-not-convinced-that-the-world-is-in-any-worse-shape-than-it-ever/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

## More by Noam Chomsky

> [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

[Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

## More Alternatives quotes

> [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/)

[Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/)

> [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/)

[Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/)

> [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/)

[Harold Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-covington/)

> [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/)

[Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/)

> [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/)

[Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/)

> [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/)

[Nicolas Bourriaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-bourriaud/)

> [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/)

[George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

[Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain enabling an infinite array of structured expressions was in effect instantaneous. I have never heard of an alternative to this suggestion.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Noam Chomsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence-of-language-is-instantaneous/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alternatives"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence-of-language-is-instantaneous/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/noam-chomsky-42_alternatives_i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence_223317.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain…” — Noam Chomsky",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Noam Chomsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have not suggested that the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence-of-language-is-instantaneous/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-have-not-suggested-that-the-emergence-of-language-is-instantaneous/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
