Comments on: Speaking about collaboration, or, a horse IS a horse http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/archives/1872?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=speaking-about-collaboration-or-a-horse-is-a-horse Dave Ferguson's interests, ideas, notions, tangents Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:11:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dave http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/archives/1872/comment-page-1#comment-12210 Dave Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:01:12 +0000 http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/?p=1872#comment-12210 Daniel, that chapter in Pinker's book goes on quite a bit about the ways in which we use indirect language, extreme politeness, and paraphrases as a natural part of our interaction with others. Consider the variations between: <ul> <li>Close the door!</li> <li>Close the door, please.</li> <li>Would you close the door?</li> <li>I'd appreciate it if you closed the door.</li> <li>I'm sorry to impose on you, but do you we could maybe close the door?</li> <li>I wish someone would close the door.</li> <li>Is the door open?</li> <li>Does it seem cold in here to you?</li> <li>I wonder if we could close the door?</li> </ul> Pinker claims that similar structures appear in many other languages. What's impressive is that we learn how and when to use so many different variations. Daniel, that chapter in Pinker’s book goes on quite a bit about the ways in which we use indirect language, extreme politeness, and paraphrases as a natural part of our interaction with others. Consider the variations between:

  • Close the door!
  • Close the door, please.
  • Would you close the door?
  • I’d appreciate it if you closed the door.
  • I’m sorry to impose on you, but do you we could maybe close the door?
  • I wish someone would close the door.
  • Is the door open?
  • Does it seem cold in here to you?
  • I wonder if we could close the door?

Pinker claims that similar structures appear in many other languages. What’s impressive is that we learn how and when to use so many different variations.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/archives/1872/comment-page-1#comment-12209 Daniel Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:48:01 +0000 http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/?p=1872#comment-12209 I have been taught that "You" is the subject of "Close he door." = (You) Close the door. ..... Later, I was taught that the parenthetical should actually read as, (I want you to) Close the door. I have come to believe that much of our language is in parentheses. I have been taught that “You” is the subject of “Close he door.” = (You) Close the door. ….. Later, I was taught that the parenthetical should actually read as, (I want you to) Close the door.

I have come to believe that much of our language is in parentheses.

]]> By: Dave http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/archives/1872/comment-page-1#comment-12204 Dave Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:11:45 +0000 http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/?p=1872#comment-12204 True, Joan. And, of course, sometimes it's not. That's part of what I enjoyed about this chapter in Pinker's book. He's exploring indirect speech as a way of understanding how the mind works. I was really taken with Grice's notion that language in conversation has its own rationality--and, especially because more and more often we're having conversations that don't occur face to face (and sometimes not even in real time), it's all the more important that we get good at how we listen (and how we try to say what we mean). True, Joan. And, of course, sometimes it’s not. That’s part of what I enjoyed about this chapter in Pinker’s book. He’s exploring indirect speech as a way of understanding how the mind works.

I was really taken with Grice’s notion that language in conversation has its own rationality–and, especially because more and more often we’re having conversations that don’t occur face to face (and sometimes not even in real time), it’s all the more important that we get good at how we listen (and how we try to say what we mean).

]]> By: Joan Vinall-Cox http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/archives/1872/comment-page-1#comment-12203 Joan Vinall-Cox Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:08:28 +0000 http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/?p=1872#comment-12203 Reminds me of Freud's comment that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Reminds me of Freud’s comment that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

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