Re: Different words for one thing

Nik Taylor wrote:

>  Because "water" is typically translated as
> "mizu", Japanese people may get the impression that the English drink
> their tea cold,
Of course, where I live, that is the rule, not the exception. (No
sane person drinks *hot* tea in the Texas heat).

> On the other extreme, Malay uses a single word, "ayer" (breve over the
> e) for H2O, whether liquid or solid.  They would presumably see our
> distinction between solid and liquid as unnecessary.
But in their environment it *is* unnecessary -- ice is by definition an
artificial phenomenon for them.  Until recently (= this century), I doubt
that many Malaysians had ever actually seen the stuff. If they were to
all move to an environment where water turned into ice naturally, almost
immediately, I'm sure, they'd adopt some word for it.

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

Denn wo Begriffe fehlen,
Da stellt ein Wort zur rechten Zeit sich ein.
   -- Mephistopheles, in Goethe's _Faust_
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