Cancer Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word "When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less." That's what I meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted October 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word *chuckle* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word Humpty Dumpty -- for an egghead, he's pretty stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word Though the rest of the passage indicates he has a more subtle point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word Never read Carroll. What was the point in question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word "I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' " "But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected. "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master that's all." Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they're the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That's what I say!" "... which is to be master ... that's all." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word "Hold the newscaster's nose straight, waiter, or unfriendly milk will countermand my trousers!" -- Stephen Fry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word "The boostest lotor zerpled in the sneed's bungans." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word Now you're just making stuff up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Re: The Last Word Actually ... that was a pseudo-sentence from my 9th grade language arts textbook, presented as an example with plausible English phonemes and auxiliary structural words to produce something that appeared initially as possibly valid sentence, but in fact had no valid content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Words have meaning because we give them such; otherwise they are noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word No, there's more to it. There is the overlying structure of syntax, the rules by which one can combine words to build meanings transcending those of the individual words themselves. So far we have not yet located where in our evolution we developed the ability to build and employ syntax; it has been searched for unsuccessfully in two species of monkeys, and the sign-language ape experiments suggest that the surviving other apes barely grasp the simplest of syntactical models. There are clear signs of emotional states existing in rather "primitive" animals. But syntax, so far, has only been found in humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Thoth gave it to us, simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word We had language for fifty thousand years before we invented Thoth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word And he walked point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Ibises are pointy indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Hippos and jackals have pointy teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word So did the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Aye, that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word It is Friday here! Thank Thoth it is Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word About ten hours away from Friday here. Though my classes are over for today, so I could cut out and have it be Friday Eve.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Re: The Last Word Two hours to Friday! Gotta go sleep ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Re: The Last Word Hope you got that done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Re: The Last Word And how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Re: The Last Word I graded exams. Hmm, there isn't a "suck" smiley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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