WW:
Since you said that you don't agree that eoxlibnsdaienvlab means wistfully, there currently exists that series of letters which has meaning to only one person. In that case it isn't a word. But if two or more people make it a word, it is because it can theoretically facilitate communication twixt two people. You'll note that I used the word provided in my prior post.
To go a bit further, some people were discussing whether a picture is a word. Yes and no. In my view a picture of an airplane isn't necessarily a word because is a great deal of ambiguity of what it means. It can mean a particular plane, one with two wings and a tail; it could mean airplanes as a class, whether they have two, four, or even six wings, or whether they are powered by people or by the most advanced engine. Others might also construe it to be the verb to fly. Even others might construe it to be an example of a construct in its most generic terms. Context is important for ideograms of this type, so they remain a form of communication which doesn't achieve word-dom, imho.
But when, as with %, there is a universal agreement that it means divided by 100, then it becomes a word. There is nothing magical in individual letters that can restrict the mind from understanding the concept behind them.
Consider the octothorpe, however. It has several meanings, none of which are so universal as to allow us to look at the # and say interally, "Ah, that means 16 avordupois ounces." In context you can puzzle out its meaning, but not by itself.
Of course this leads to a discussion of, for example, the word lead. By itself you don't know whether it means the long-e verb, the short-e word for the element Pb, the long-e word for leash, or the long-e word for clue. Is lead a word? Of course it is. Which word it is depends on context. Now, why isn't # also a word of differing meanings which must be determined through context?
Suddenly I have a headache and I don't want to continue this line of thought any more!!!!! Translated:I don't know the answer and somehow I wrote myself into this damned corner. ARGH!!
TEd goes away whistling "All I want is a rune somewhere..."
