Re: A question of semantics

Nick Maclaren wrote:
> What I am asking about is NOT a logical or unambiguous approach, but
> one that uses different concepts.  In particular, in my example of
> uncertainty, the concepts I am thinking of overlap and are themselves
> somewhat ill-defined.  I do not regard this as a disadvantage, for the
> same reasons that the same properties are not necessarily one in
> English.
In other words, a naturalistic language using different divisions of the
world, not inherently more logical than other natural languages?  If so,
that's something many of us do as well.  My language, Uatakassi, tends
to have lots of words for higher-level categories that English lacks.
For example, _uabiitani_ refers to *any* inhabited place, and can
therefore apply to anything from an isolated homestead to a booming
metropolis.  _Uakitani_ refers to any independent political unit, for
example, it would apply equally to a small village (if it's not part of
a larger political unit) or a city-state to a nation.  It could be used
for a republic, a kingdom, a military dictatorship, a communistic state,
etc.  "State" is a rough equivalent, but it's still broader.  It
contrasts with _pibiibiu_, "uninhabited place".  _Lalasta_ refers to any
flying animal.  Among Earth creatures (the language is actually spoken
by aliens on another world), it could be used for flying birds (but
*not* flightless birds) and bats, as well as the extinct pterodactyls.
It's not used for insects.  I'm not sure about gliding creatures like
Flying Squirrels.  _Vazia_ is a verb translating roughly as "act out of
rage", and can also be used as an auxiliary indicating that the main
verb is done out of rage, angrily.  An interesting term I kind of
discovered by accident is _pidiala_, which is basically
"unaffectedness", a term which, it seems, should be possible in English,
but, AFAIK, isn't a word.  :-)  There are also examples of words which
are *more* precise than English, as in the contrast between _gudia_
"mate, have sexual intercourse without intention of having children",
and _likangli_ "breed, have sexual intercourse for the purpose of having
a child"

--
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overheard
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