X-Digest-Num: 104 Message-ID: <44114.104.571.959273824@eGroups.com> Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 22:58:43 +0000 From: C.D.Wright@solipsys.co.uk Subject: Re: semantics ... X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 571 Content-Length: 1174 Lines: 44 From: Robin Turner > ... before going multilingual with the gismu list > (which it is high time we did) we need to think > carefully about our lexicography. This is unquestionably true. > One solution would be to adopt a feature-based analysis > of the gismu involved, using features which are, as far > as possible, consistent across cultures. > An alternative ... use the Natural Semantic Model ... which > aims to define terms using a limited number of universally > accepted words (I think the current total is 90). In the end, aren't these two methods basically the same? In the final analysis, don't they both say ... There is a small, enumerated list of points in semantic space which have the following properties: 1. Every language has a word at that location 2. Between them they cover *all* of semantic space. ?? > ... I think a bit of semantic analysis now might > save us a lot of grief later. Er, surely you mean "... a lot of semantic analysis ..." co'o mi'e sidirait. " If you never go off at a tangent you will forever run in circles. "