Analytical Language

So, I'm posting this blog after my 2nd read through of the article and I'm still confused! Like a couple of other people in the class, I was doing fine with the 40 categories,the subdiving,the monosyllables, etc. etc. For the first few paragraphs I was actually thinking that it was all a pretty cool concept, to have one universal language...then, somewhere around the end of the 4th paragraph, it just got confusing! What was all that stuff about "beauty belongs to the sixteenth category; it is a living brood fish, an oblong one" ??? I guess the "16th category" is referring to one of the 40 categories he has divided the universe into, but "a living brood fish, an oblong one"...what the heck!? If the main idea of the article is showing how Wilkins came up with a universal language, then I've got it, but if it's anything more than that, I am beyond lost. And can someone PLEASE explain the point of those weirdo recipes!? I felt like I was on some bad drug while I was reading them! Any input would help a lot :)

Thanks!

Katy