Is it a lexical error?

WWW · Post by **WWW** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:50 pm

LarryLatham wrote: ".....
"Is it correct?" is the wrong question. The matter of correctness is not the central issue here. ...."

Larry Latham

Is it correct for a common context? - - should be the correct question.

Shouldn't a common context be assumed there?

Maybe?

WWW · Post by **WWW** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 12:18 am

lolwhites wrote:".....
Not sure about WWW's explanation that "It should not be used unless referring to a thing that was DELIBERATELY CREATED or instituted for a useful purpose". William's example of the function of the red blood cells is to transport oxygen is fine in my English, although they weren't deliberately created (with all due respect to Creationists). They do, however, have a specific purpose/job/role.

The function of people who post too often on message boards is to....

Yeah... Youre right..It's apparent that we could be talking about a thing thats good bad or whatever.
and I was thinking wrong ; totally.

I should have said :
It should not be used unless referrng to a deliberatley created, instituted, by Nature, God, man, or just a by a fluke(but then it wouldn't be deliberate) maybe.

he hee heh
O I don't know ..my head hurts

But... BTW...
the number one definition of function happens to be (according to my AOL online dictionary) :

1 : professional or official position : OCCUPATION
2 : the action for which a person or thing is specially FITTED or used or for which a thing exists : PURPOSE
^Im noticing the words "OR" used there..

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 2:53 am

I have always thought that "function" is a term applicable to machines, robots and automatons; as a noun it clearly implies the denoted does not have a volition of his (her) own. The police may have, among others, the function of catching thieves, but the thieves do not necessarily have the function of stealing. They are humans like the police are, and they function (verb) as thieves on occasion. It's this initiative that defines them as thieves.