Re: English syllable structure (was,for some reason: Re: Llirine: How to creat a language)

Cheng Zhong Su wrote:
> Answer: Then what is the meaning of "She went to a/the
> bank" and what's the meaning of:"He is a doctor?","He
> is a bachelor?"
You can always find ways to further subdivide semantic space.
Eliminating all ambiguity would require an infinite supply of words
(which would thus necessarily be infinitely long).

For conciseness we pay a small price in ambiguity.

But `bank' here is not a misfortunate homonym, it is the same word,
specialized in two divergent ways.  I guess the semantic path was
something like this:

        slope > seat > bench > counter (table) >
        business done at a counter > finance > financial enterprise

So long as people extend the usages of their words, they'll never be rid
of ambiguities for long.  Mwa ha ha ha! [evil cackle]


Now go away and find someone who cares.


--
Anton Sherwood  --  http://www.ogre.nu/

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