|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
stranger
|
OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7 |
Greetings,
Ever since I encountered this expression a year or so ago, I have been fascinated by it - it captures a consciousness of a temporal and spatial continuity so succintly and elegantly, it is almost painfully joyful to contemplate. Even more interestingly, it seems that it is not an incidental literary occasion. In Bulgarian, for instance, we speak of time in terms of produlzhitelnost [продължителност, continuity, duration], from dulzhina [дължина, length] which is a common measurement of spatial distance. The latter, I suppose, is more akin to the English expression 'time-span' rather than 'space of time', yet it assumes the same awareness.
So, I wonder where did the phrase originate from and whether other languages have the same implicit conscioussness of a time-space confounded-ness...
Thought it was an exciting expression to start my activity within these boards with. It's been a great pleasure to have the reliable morning company of Wordsmith's 'word a day' mail-friend and to occasionally indulge in your enthralling discussions. Thanks for that to this wonderful community and Wordsmith's 'library-keepers'!
Regards,
Marina
Last edited by Marina Uzunova; 07/27/11 06:49 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Thats a nice introduction Marina, welcome.
expiry dates comes to my mind...I'm always checking them both at work and when out shopping.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,922 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,922 Likes: 3 |
----please, draw me a sheep----
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
stranger
|
|
OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7 |
Thanks for the kind welcomes, all!
Unfortunately, Candy, I am not sure I get the connection between expire dates and the spatial concept of temporal duration... Maybe it is just some meaning nuance I am missing: is expiry used to refer to space distances too?
Come to think of it, it does imply a linear span - and time (probably inferring from man's experience with space?) is predominantly thought of in linear terms, in post-Modern ages that is...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Marina, if you are fascinated by time in general, you may find this old discussion to be of some interest. time on my hands WARNING: this is a very old (and very long?) thread, and some of the newbies here may want to avoid it as it generally causes maudlin reactions from the OFs, such as remain.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7
stranger
|
|
OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 7 |
Very interesting, tsuwm, thank you. It will take some space of time to go through it carefully, but it will definetely be worth the time.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Welcome Marina. I've aways liked 'time span', tijdspanne(Du), because of all other definitions involved, such as duration of time, period, a while, an era, etc. it clearly expresses the stretchability time contains ( whatever time may be). In Dutch spannen means 'to stretch'.
On a clock five minutes is five minutes, but the sense of five minutes may vary from half a minute to half an hour. (roughly estimated)
A space of time I had not read or heard of before.
(thanks for the link tsuwm)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677 |
The Forever War - excellent scifi read that covers time and space and what it entails - the science of the tijme changes are accurate  and so slightly scary
----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Unfortunately, Candy, I am not sure I get the connection between expire dates and the spatial concept of temporal duration... Maybe it is just some meaning nuance I am missing: is expiry used to refer to space distances too?
Sorry Marina, no, I was just posting what came to my mind at the time, (so to speak). Nothing to to do with 'space distance'.....just that expiry dates put a limit on time.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,426
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
428
guests, and
5
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
