|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Even so, W is often said, in a non-linguistic sense, to be either a vowel or a consonant. Clearly in two it is a vowel.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293 |
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Even so, W is often said, in a non-linguistic sense, to be either a vowel or a consonant. Clearly in two it is a vowel. maybe. it depends on how it's taught -- 'w' is called either a semi-vowel, a semi-consonant, or a glide... the sound of the 'w' in two is a back glide related to the sound 'oo' (as in boo). some will still insist that the only words (in English) where the w is a vowel are cwm and crwth (from Welsh). then again, some will now insist that the 'w' in two is (part of) a dipthong. ymmv. edit: I found this claim online, fwiw: I found two word where the 'W' comes before the partner vowel. (1) geo·duck also gwe·duc (gōō'ē-dŭk') n. A very large, edible clam of the Pacific coast of northwest North America, (2) two [too]
Last edited by tsuwm; 04/24/09 03:14 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
I just read a riddle and I am not ablre to understand its answer.
Q. How many letters are there in the correct answer to this question?
A. Four. - Explanation: Four is the only number with the same amount of letters as the word it is from.
Can someone explain how the answer can be deduced? I've reread this thread a few times and riddle + aswer still ring no bell at all. To me it looks like empty nonsense too in spite of all efforts to give it a meaning.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The question is "How many..." This means the answer will be a number. So it boils down to what number has the same number of letters as the number it means. The only number in English that satisfies that condition is four. In, e.g., German the answer could be vier or, if you spell it with a ue rather than ü, fuenf would also work, so there wouldn't be a unique answer in German. Dunno about Nederlands.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Ah...I see. That is, now I see what I do not understand about this riddle.
To me it appears that the question is not "How many....", but " How many letters are there in the correct answer to this question?" I cannot follow the logic of it. It's not a matter of language. When I translate it it's just the same. Must admit I'm no good with riddles or crypto's in general.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
it's clever, in an "I'm smarter and cleverer than you" pain in the ass annoying kind of way.
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Why, that's the first time I've heard lack of understanding called 'clever '. I try to understand.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
Correct me if I'm wrong, et, but I believe, Bran, that the "clever" appellation is referring to the riddle, not to you. I think he's trying to say that someone who would ask such a riddle is trying to be [or at least perceived as] clever, when s/he is actually a pain in the ass annoying... :0)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
exactly! thanks, two, and sorry Bran, for the misunderstanding. ((hug))
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
668
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
