How about in cases like "Any half-wit could write this code."? To me, this implies a single individual, drawn at random from the set of half-wits. ?"Some half-wit could write this code" is questionable to me, but I can easily use "some" in a similar "Some half-wit wrote this code." -- which implies a specific individual (perhaps even one that is pragmatically obvious) from the set of half-wits.clawgrip wrote:My own thought on the difference between 'some' and 'any' is that 'some' is always a finite, natural number (i.e. 1 or more) or real, existing thing, and typically represents a limited range or exact number/thing that is simply left unspecified. On the other hand, 'any' is generally infinite, and represents 0 or any conceivable number or object (even if context will often define the extents), and as such, is inherently unspecifiable .
This is why 'any' is useful for questions and negatives, where, no natural number or object is specified (i.e. "Do you know anyone who can help?" means "Do you know 1 person? 2 people? 3 people? etc." because I am not specifying any thing or number), but not quite as much for affirmative statements, where specific numbers/things are more likely to be required outside of hypotheticals or listener-choice statements, "he can do anything he wants," (i.e. "no matter what you think of, he can do it").
Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #94: Face and Politeness)
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
That's what I referred to as a "listener-choice" statement, i.e. "no matter which half-wit you choose, (s)he can write this code." It's the "drawn at random" part; the speaker is allowing the listener to do the drawing, in a sense.Ollock wrote:How about in cases like "Any half-wit could write this code."? To me, this implies a single individual, drawn at random from the set of half-wits. ?"Some half-wit could write this code" is questionable to me, but I can easily use "some" in a similar "Some half-wit wrote this code." -- which implies a specific individual (perhaps even one that is pragmatically obvious) from the set of half-wits.clawgrip wrote:My own thought on the difference between 'some' and 'any' is that 'some' is always a finite, natural number (i.e. 1 or more) or real, existing thing, and typically represents a limited range or exact number/thing that is simply left unspecified. On the other hand, 'any' is generally infinite, and represents 0 or any conceivable number or object (even if context will often define the extents), and as such, is inherently unspecifiable .
This is why 'any' is useful for questions and negatives, where, no natural number or object is specified (i.e. "Do you know anyone who can help?" means "Do you know 1 person? 2 people? 3 people? etc." because I am not specifying any thing or number), but not quite as much for affirmative statements, where specific numbers/things are more likely to be required outside of hypotheticals or listener-choice statements, "he can do anything he wants," (i.e. "no matter what you think of, he can do it").
I recognize that it may not be as cut-and-dry as I have laid it out, but I still feel that that is an essential difference between them.
Edit: here is a clearer summary of what I mean:
some: a specific person, thing, number of things/people, etc. is under discussion, but its identity is not explicitly indicated, because it is unknown, unclear, unimportant, etc.
any: no specific person, thing, number of things/people, etc. is under discussion; all people/things/etc. that fall within the specified parameters, if parameters have been specified, are equally able to fill the role indicated by 'any.'
- in affirmative statements, it is either generic or hypothetical
- in questions the speaker does not know if a specific thing etc. exists or not
- in negative statements a specific thing/etc. does not exist as a matter of course
'Some' can also act similarly the description I've given for 'any' when discussing amounts and numbers (e.g. "add some music to your day" means "any amount of music you want"), but not when discussing identity (e.g. "I could hear some music coming from somewhere" does not mean "I could hear any music I wanted coming from somewhere"); 'any' cannot ever perform the duties I've specified for 'some'.
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
Lots of the and the lots of mean different things!
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
Yeah, I actually got that impression as I was editing. Basically the lots of cows actually gives me two meanings:finlay wrote:Lots of the and the lots of mean different things!
1) The auction lots that include cows.
2) A specific group of many cows that I've mentioned before.
Meaning (2) seems similar, though it's clear that the definite article is attaching to lots. Unfortunately, I can't really go back and edit out my derp.
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
a) The "lots of cows" you claimed you saw were actually just a big pile of dirt. You need new glasses.
b) Lots of the cows that were left outside during that blizzard died.
b) Lots of the cows that were left outside during that blizzard died.
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
No outtakes?
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #87: Determiners)
William has been recording, and he doesn't record much material outside the main show. Plus, outtakes take time to put together. Sorry.finlay wrote:No outtakes?
Also, new episode: Conlangery #88: Ancient Greek (natlang)
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #89: Polysynthesis)
We have a new episode out: Conlangery #89: Polysynthesis
I also noticed that I forgot to share the last short with the forums, so here's the link to that: Conlangery Shorts #07: When do you insert your infix?. You'll also notice that I've separated the shorts out from the full episodes in the first-post list, to make it easier to look through.
I also noticed that I forgot to share the last short with the forums, so here's the link to that: Conlangery Shorts #07: When do you insert your infix?. You'll also notice that I've separated the shorts out from the full episodes in the first-post list, to make it easier to look through.
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #89: Polysynthesis)
That welsh village was a marketing gag originally, you know...
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #89: Polysynthesis)
I didn't, actually. I didn't bother to read the Wikipedia article at the time, as Mike literally dropped it in as we were recording the show. In any case, assuming that it's a valid Welsh word using normal compounding rules, it's still useful to take a look at. I hold to my point that it's just a gigantic noun compound and not anything that justifies the label "polysynthetic", though people are welcome to argue the point.finlay wrote:That welsh village was a marketing gag originally, you know...
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #89: Polysynthesis)
No, you're right there.
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
haven't heard from you guys in ages!
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
We're on hiatus.finlay wrote:haven't heard from you guys in ages!
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
i assumed, but you didn't actually send out a message to the effect for more than two weeks so i'd been wondering.
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
Apparently I've been severely neglecting this thread, so I'm going to update all at once the past three shorts. I'd also like to announce that I've talked to Mike and William and long-form episodes will be returning soon (our first recording is scheduled for next week).
Conlangery SHORTS #09: Phrasebook: Hello and Goodbye
Conlangery SHORTS #10: Phrasebook: How do you say …?
Conlangery SHORTS #11: Phrasebook: What time is it?
Conlangery SHORTS #09: Phrasebook: Hello and Goodbye
Conlangery SHORTS #10: Phrasebook: How do you say …?
Conlangery SHORTS #11: Phrasebook: What time is it?
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
A very confusing thing about "half 4": in all other germanic langs, the equivalent phrase means 3:30 (halfway to 4). And in some, like dutch, you can also say "five to half 4" (vijf voor half vier, iirc) to mean 3:25.
Also in BrE the expressions "past" and "to" the hour are set, but in AmE you have other phrases like after, or till.
Also in BrE the expressions "past" and "to" the hour are set, but in AmE you have other phrases like after, or till.
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
"Half eight" meaning 8:30 will never cease to confuse me. Obviously "half eight" should mean either 7:30 or 4:00, but it should never be anything higher than eight!
[quote="Nortaneous"]Is South Africa better off now than it was a few decades ago?[/quote]
- KathTheDragon
- Smeric
- Posts: 2139
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:48 am
- Location: Brittania
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
Except it's obviously short for "half past eight"
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: SHORTS #08: Pahran gramat
Long form episodes are back! Conlangery #90: Mailbag 1
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #91: Srínawésin)
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #92: Sapir-Worf)
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #93:Basque/Euskara (natla
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #94: Face and Politeness)
George Corley
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
Producer and Moderating Host, Conlangery Podcast
- 2+3 clusivity
- Avisaru
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 5:34 pm
Re: Conlangery Podcast (Latest Ep: #94: Face and Politeness)
Bump. Y'all still doing this?
*edit* It appears you are. Please keep this updated if you have time!
*edit* It appears you are. Please keep this updated if you have time!
linguoboy wrote:So that's what it looks like when the master satirist is moistened by his own moutarde.