|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
Just goes to show that the border between nouns and adjectives is fuzzy.
Quite fuzzy. The Roman and Greek grammarians had a single lexical category (new-fangled speak for part of speech) called nomen, nominis 'noun', literally 'name'. Nomina were furthered subdivided into nomina substantiva 'names which stand for' and nomina adjectiva 'names which increase' or 'hurled at names'. The Greek grammarians came up with this distinction and the Romans basically copied it and translated the terms. The analysis is based on the fact that there is no way to determine (by form or morphology) if a nomen is an noun or an adjective: the case endings used are identical, and adjectives could be used by themselves in a Latin sentence in the same way as a substantive. Adjectives weren't spun off into their own category until late in the 18th century.
popsicle toes
The word toes is definitely being modified by popsicle, but whatever the lexical category of popsicle is (and I go for noun) it's not the same as the category for adjectives. I base this on what slots the word can fill in sentence templates: e.g., the following is not grammatical for me: "my toes are very popsicle". To me, popsicle toes seems uncontroversially a compound noun of the form: baseball, babysitter, etc. Your analysis may vary.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
the LEGO® Stance:
Using the LEGO brand name
Please help us to protect our brand name:
• The LEGO brand name should always be written in capital letters
• LEGO must never be used as a generic term or in the plural or as a possessive pronoun, e.g. “LEGO’s”.
• When the LEGO brand name is used as part of a noun, it must never appear on its own. It should always be accompanied by a noun. For example, LEGO set, LEGO products, LEGO Group, LEGO play materials, LEGO bricks, LEGO universe, etc.
• The first time the LEGO brand name appears it must be accompanied by the Registered symbol ®.
Thank you for helping us!
[primary color added]
for me, then, saying "let's play (with our) LEGO" is as equally proscribed as saying "let's play (with our) Legos". according to the LEGO Lawyers.
-joe (lex estn't lux) friday
edit: can you find the inconsistencies in the LEGO legal statement? (there seem to be at least two)
Last edited by tsuwm; 04/16/08 06:40 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 557
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 557 |
it's a verb!
Sure, third conjugation: first person singular active indicative. So the plural should be: legimus. It could be a Latin noun as well. Probably third declension, increasing pattern, like bufo, -onis (frog). The plural would be legones.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
I base this on what slots the word can fill in sentence templates: e.g., the following is not grammatical for me: "my toes are very popsicle".
That's indeed an adaquate way to sort it out. It does not play much in our language, because we tend to glue the "compounds" together, f.i. witness stand is 'getuigenbank', numerical strenght is 'getalsterkte'. Pure nouns.
So it is more confusing in English but your 'mnemonic device' is very helpful.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
It could be a Latin noun as well.
Yes, it could.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
Further to what I said above in response to etaoin's post, I just realised that "Lego my Eggo" could also be taken to mean
In English "Let go of my Ego"
In Greek "Say my I" (which wouldn't mean anything but then neither does this whole conversation...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
In Latin lego, as a verb, could mean one of a variety of things. My favorite for the whole phase is 'I bequeath my Eggo.'
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
In Latin lego, as a verb, could mean one of a variety of things. My favorite for the whole phase is 'I bequeath my Eggo.' Which you probably wouldn't bother to do unless it was a Faberge-o Eggo! 
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,331
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
824
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
