Something is rudimentary when it has a simple and unsophisticated mechanism. In this sense, there are gadgets whose main characteristic is simplicity. Let's think about the wheel, a very simple invention that is present in all kinds of objects and that has revolutionized technology.
The idea of rudiment is used occasionally in the plural, the rudiments. It's all about the basics of an activity. Thus, when it comes to becoming familiar with a new technique, we need to learn its rudiments and progressively progress. This is what happens, for example, at the beginning of a sports practice or a trade (you start with the most basic and elementary).
Rudimentary can be used in a derogatory sense. If something is crude and not very elaborate, it can be unattractive, so it is expected to be pejoratively valued. The derogatory nuance of the term connects with its etymology, since it originally comes from the Latin rudimentum, which means that something or someone is rude or ignorant. Rudimentary as something negative or contemptuous is applicable to various aspects: an object, a way of speaking, a clothing or the decoration of a house. In this sense, the rudimentary is synonymous with vulgar, with little category and something inappropriate for refined people. The equivalence between rudimentary and vulgar depends in many cases on fashion or a cultural assessment (there are dishes that are currently very sophisticated and very expensive and a few years ago they were food for very humble people).
Rudimentary language in childhood
Human communication has an immense complexity and is based on a unique aspect: language.
Words allow us to relate to others, explain reality and create other worlds through literature. To reach these elaborate levels, it is necessary to start with the simplest. Thus, when a child begins to speak, he does so in a very rudimentary way. Initially it emits sounds without any apparent meaning. On the other hand, he imitates the messages he hears around him. Very slowly he articulates simple words and uses gestures to communicate. At this stage the child learns the rudiments of communication and can only do so if he lives in society.
There have been cases in history in which a child has been raised by other animals (for example, monkeys) and this circumstance has prevented him from developing normal language when he has come into contact with humans. The phenomenon of the wild child has been useful to understand that linguistic rudiments are acquired in normalized family and social conditions.
