Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 3 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 9 10
#130923 07/31/04 09:44 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
No, but I've heard that

very good, grasshopper.



formerly known as etaoin...
#130924 07/31/04 09:54 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Cubby's florets

flowers taking *chances?



formerly known as etaoin...
#130925 07/31/04 10:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
flowers taking *chances?

Er, nope. Albert Romolo Broccoli versus Virag Lipoti.


#130926 08/01/04 11:47 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I will sleep better tonight for it

Did you have you a good night's sleep? 'Cause this raises my old question that I ask every time some prescrip declares that, e.g., incent isn't a word. We're stretching a little farther on this one, but, what does it take for a set of phonemes to be a word? What is it beyond pronounceability, recognizability, and conveyance of meaning that is required to endow a group of phonemes with the blessings of word status? I've never had anyone even attempt an answer. I'm assuming here, for purposes of discussion, that 'conveyance of meaning' implies that at least some significant subset of the speakers of a given language will, in some specific context, understand the meaning of the word-candidate in that language.


#130927 08/01/04 05:03 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
A
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
A
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
"...what does it take for a set of phonemes to be a word? What is it beyond pronounceability, recognizability, and conveyance of meaning that is required to endow a group of phonemes with the blessings of word status? I've never had anyone even attempt an answer. I'm assuming here, for purposes of discussion, that 'conveyance of meaning' implies that at least some significant subset of the speakers of a given language will, in some specific context, understand the meaning of the word-candidate in that language." asks faldage

At the risk of being called a (hush) Prescriptionist I'll delimit the meaning of all words. As such...

A word is a symbolic representation of information about the encircling environment but only when it is understood by an entity which thinks.

Well faldage, what do you think?


#130928 08/01/04 06:34 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
OK--a word is a symbolic representation of information about the encircling environment but only when it is understood by an entity which thinks.


today (once again!) the NYT crossword has a clue (#45)Shoebox letters.
in that context(or should i call it an encircling environment)--i.e., letter found on shoeboxes-- EEE is a symbolic representation of information and while it might not be understood by everybody, it is easily understood by an entity which thinks.

i have bought shoes in england and italy.. and other places.. not everyone uses EEE (my size my the way, she admits, while crossing her toes over toes, in an effort to make her feet look smaller)--but i quickly come to understand when other codes are used, and to quickly be able to figure out my size.. (N- as in Narrow, vs, M or W or WW is one very common alternate to the A-B-...EEE gauge.)

so i am guessing you agree with faldage.. and eee is a word.



#130929 08/01/04 07:41 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
A
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
A
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 89
eeek! Yes , of Troy, I grudgingly agree with Faldage. Which is somewhat a wonder because I have often noted than many times it seems that Faldage doesn't agree with Faldage.
And sometimes rightly so.

And speaking of "ergodic" of Troy,
I thought that your explanation of the term's meaning was by far the most logical. As a matter of fact I will from this day forth use " ergodic" to denote any system that will revert to a predictable state given the addition of larger samples through adequate time.
Thank you.


#130930 08/01/04 08:03 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I looked word up in the AHD and it defines word in terms of morpheme which doesn't help too much, because it defines morpheme in terms of word. I would think your definition a little too broad, amemeba, as it would include such things as the symbols on traffic signs. This is not a word:

http://members.aol.com/rmoeuradot/200x200/reg/R3-2.gif


#130931 08/01/04 09:43 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
re:Which is somewhat a wonder because I have often noted than many times it seems that Faldage doesn't agree with Faldage.

YUP, i'll second that-consistanty is the hobgobblin of small minds.. faldage is many things, but never small minded!


#130932 08/01/04 10:46 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage doesn't agree with Faldage.

Besides, I'm a Fool; therefore, I don't necessarily espouse everything I espouse.


Page 3 of 10 1 2 3 4 5 9 10

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5