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#131350 08/12/04 12:50 AM
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Shellb Offline OP
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I apologise for my lack or 'wordiness' but I have a quick question which neither my english teacher or tafe teachers can answer. THere is a word that describes words such as full (which can't be made to fuller) or empty (whcih can't be emptier). THey only exist the way they are. Does anyone know what these words are called??


#131351 08/12/04 01:17 AM
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Welcome aBoard, shelby! Can't help with the word you're looking for, sorry, but. Just as a point of clarification, do you mean that you're looking for the word that describes words for concepts that can't be enlarged upon? That is, if a container is empty, then it's empty--though come to think of it, I reckon only a vaccum truly fits that! But back to the everyday world...I think I know what you mean: you can compare the contents of one container to another; but one single container cannot be empty, then emptier.
Full, though, I'm not so sure of. There's nearly full, full to the mark, full, full to the brim, and overfull, to name a few concepts I can think of. If a container looks to be full, but still can hold one more drop or one more granule, was it indeed full? And what about a Thermos bottle, or any container that has a section of the lid/cap that fits down into the container: if you fill that container to its brim, the contents are going to spill when you put the lid on. So when is that one full?

Anyway--what's a tafe teacher, please?


#131352 08/12/04 01:33 AM
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Thanks for the welcome Jackie. I am looking for the word that describes the concepts that can't be expanded on. (I apologize for the plagiarism but you put it so eloquently). In response to your questions a TAFE teacher teaches at an institute that is an alternative to University. They tend to teach trades rather than degrees. I thought of asking my Uni teacher but I'm studying Psychology and I don't think he'd be very responsive.
Nice talking with you.


#131353 08/12/04 05:27 AM
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= Technical And Further Eduction (Australia).

Used to be known as "Tech Colleges". Historically they were the bastion of education for those learning a trade. Now much, much more and, in some cases, the Instution can also award degrees for selected courses of study.

approx = CAE, College (of) Advanced Education

...and Shellb....G'day mate!!

stales




#131354 08/12/04 10:07 AM
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Sated might could work for 'cain't get no fuller,' depending on circumstances. Maybe evacuated for '…no emptier.'


#131355 08/12/04 01:40 PM
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Sated might could work for 'cain't get no fuller,' depending on circumstances. Maybe evacuated for '…no emptier.' Ok, but--I think shellb is looking for a term for the words which, if I may perhaps put it a different way, either are or aren't. (A nice, comfortable concept, I might add! Either black or white--no darned ol' shades of gray.) So, perhaps without arguing about my specific and no doubt arguable examples, I will try, besides
empty:
pregnant,
and broken. Tsuwm?

Shellb, please post if my assumption/examples are not what you meant.



#131356 08/12/04 01:54 PM
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Adding to Jackie...
Dead ?



#131357 08/12/04 02:01 PM
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so the question becomes: is there a word for linguistic absolutes?


#131358 08/12/04 02:08 PM
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CWC, you read my mind! I nearly came back and edited that one in!

And tsuwm, I think you've hit it on the nose. But...you don't know??? [in that case we're sunk e]


#131359 08/12/04 02:30 PM
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I just got to this thread, and wanted to suggest absolutes as well.


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