[originaltext] If I had to name a single great invention of mankind, I would

If I had to name a single great invention of mankind, I would say language. There has been no greater invention, because if there were no language, most of man’s inventions would not have been made. Though there are other means of communications like signals in war, signs made with hands, and facial expressions, they are not as powerful as language. The communication possible through these means is limited. Language made it possible for man to share his thoughts, his questions and his knowledge with his fellow beings. Knowledge gained by one generation could become the basis of inventions of the next generation only because of language. The written word and the printed word were the two next greatest inventions. Can you imagine our world with everything else but without printed pages? The modern world functions on the strength of the printed word. There would be no universities, no business contracts, no political treaties, and no newspapers, if we did not have the printed word.