Philabellalology all the way - Page 2

WVU Mersenneer · 2010-03-18, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by FactorEyes

It's a good one, though I can't say I care for 4 very much.

Great call!

(hmm, that's kinda oddly an appropriate laugh for someone in Morgantown, WV, isn't it? Thank goodness I grew up in a Pittsburgh suburb...hmm, maybe not.

)

Do rival "math nerds" give each other the "4", then?

At least 19 makes up for 4, 17 and 18 are good, too.

I wonder if Paul's children grew up able to count to 1,024.

xilman · 2010-03-18, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVU Mersenneer

I wonder if Paul's children grew up able to count to 1,024.

To the best of my knowledge, I don't have any children.

If you have evidence to the contrary, please post it.

Paul

WVU Mersenneer · 2010-03-18, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

To the best of my knowledge, I don't have any children.

If you have evidence to the contrary, please post it.

Paul

my sincere apologies, Paul.

Uncwilly · 2010-03-19, 05:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

If you have evidence to the contrary, please post it.

Linda Tripp (John Goodman) says that once you receive an award would be the best time to post the data.

retina · 2010-03-19, 06:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

"Glork" or "glark" is an invented word ...

I am curious to know which words were not invented?

xilman · 2010-04-19, 07:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

I am curious to know which words were not invented?

They are two alternative spellings for the same word. I'm sure you're familiar with that concept.

Paul

xilman · 2010-04-19, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

Is it not true that all words are invented words?

It's not obviously true.

For instance, human infants' first consonantal sounds are almost invariably 'ma-ma', 'da-da' and 'pa-pa', irrespective of cultural upbringing.

It seems unlikely that the words for "mother", "breast" and "father" are very similar to these sounds in rather a large number of languages --- and from a number of different language families. On this model, a few words are genetically innate rather than culturally determined

Then there are onamatopoeic words such as "bubble" which could, perhaps, be regarded as being mimicked rather than invented.

Paul

retina · 2010-04-19, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

For instance, human infants' first consonantal sounds are almost invariably 'ma-ma', 'da-da' and 'pa-pa', irrespective of cultural upbringing.

Random collections of sounds are not words until the culture surrounding us teaches us how to formulate those sounds in particular orders to get desired results. Human cultures invent words. When a baby says ma-ma-ma-ma it learns that one particular person will respond more strongly (the female parent), but that parent only responds because the culture has taught her to respond. Are you suggesting that there could be a genetic mechanism that will cause a stronger response in human females to ma-ma-ma-ma and a weaker response in human males to the same sounds?