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eslstudies · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 1061 Location: East of Aden

Once, many lifetimes ago, I had the temerity to use the term "word" without defining it as "a sign with an arbitrary meaning". I was dismissed as "lay" by a self proclaimed linguist, whom I believe is somewhere on this thread.
So Anda needed to say something witty, like "a language is a dialect with a flag and a navy".

SocratesSon2 · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Posts: 134

A word is a sign with an arbitrary meaning or a symbol? Please do be more specific. Or maybe you will say both are the same thing. I do so love such empty philosophical sayings. You can't disagree with them because they are totally open to interpretation, and if you ask "Did you mean this" the person can just say "No, I meant that, but they are the same." I just love those kind of pseudo profound sayings. Nice try at being relativistic by the way Laughing

eslstudies · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 1061 Location: East of Aden

I'm not trying to start a fight. I'll PM you to clarify.
Well, I tried.
I was actually quoting Ferdinand de Saussure, but what the heck. He's just a pseudo-profound loser.

redpiston · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 338

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Here is the link, clever one:

http://www.scots-online.org/grammar/lang.htm