The ease with which speech symbolism can be transferred from one sense to another, from technique to technique, itself indicates that the mere sounds of speech are not the essential fact of language, which lies rather in the classification, in the formal patterning, and in the relating of concepts.
- Sapir (1921), a pag.21

This formal pattern '-(b) + A + (c) + (d) 1'- is a characteristic feature of the language. A countless number of functions may be expressed by it; [...] all the possible ideas conveyed by such prefixed and suffixed elements, while tending to fall into minor groups, do not necessarily form natural, functional systems.
- Sapir (1921), a pag.57

Change any of these features of the sentence and it becomes modified [...] in some purely relational [...] regard. If 'the' is omitted ('farmer kills duckling', [...] ), the sentence [....] falls into no recognized formal pattern and the two subjects of discourse seem to hang incompletely in the void.
- Sapir (1921), a pag.85

[...] the 'part of speech' reflects not so much our intuitive analysis of reality as our ability to compose that reality into a variety of formal patterns.
- Sapir (1921), a pag.118