As you read a sentence, its meaning may be clear even before you reach its end. This illustrates our topic. Our minds process text sequentially. As we read, the context presented to us by an author develops in our minds. What precedes clarifies what follows, and vice-versa. This phenomenon is a result of efficiency. It's how language works. Reducing the number of symbols we use simplifies communication in one sense; but it also forces us to adopt complications like words and grammar. Few of us write with hieroglyphs anymore.
December 21st 2007