2. The builders

How to play

1. The builder calls out a stone: “Slab!”. Bring the stone he means.
2. Later he adds numbers and pointing: “Two slabs — there!”. Each kind of word does a different job.
3. Then give the orders yourself. Your assistant does exactly what you say, and asks when the call is unclear.
4. Finally, the same words do different jobs: an order, a report, a question, a warning. Work out which.

The idea

Wittgenstein imagines a complete language of four words. 'Slab!' does not need a definition: it works because B brings a slab.

Philosophical Investigations §2. Read the passage