English Language Discussion Forums

**Red5** · #1 24-Jul-2003, 22:10

**RonBee** · #2 25-Jul-2003, 02:47

In the sense that language is measureless, yes. But since everything must come to an end, no.

So the answer is yes and no.

:wink:

**Tdol** · #3 28-Jul-2003, 21:08

It is only physically measureless- theoretically, I feel it could be.

**RonBee** · #4 29-Jul-2003, 13:18

So your answer is "maybe"?

:wink:

**Tdol** · #5 29-Jul-2003, 21:08

No- I believe language is finite at any moment- there are a limited number of words and a limited number of grammar rules, so there are a finite number of combinations. It just happens to vbe so fast that it would be impossible to calculate. I think Chomsky has confused incalculable and infinite.

#6 21-Aug-2003, 04:05

by just using a simple sentence "hit the dog."By position the sentence to diffenet situation, it can have infinite definition, for example, when I see the robbers stealing food, where this sentence can be . The human mind has the capacity to understand such metaphor as we have seen through the works of shakespeare, schiller, and many others. therefore even with finite words to use, the usage of it, is infinte and can produce different effects.
wilhelm von humboldt is a great intellectual and humanitarian, who promote repulblicism around the world, to counter the British's empiricism. His work is always unforgettable due to its significant insight. i would recommend everybody to read it.
here's one where he reveal the reason for the rise of the greatest civilization ever known in history, the greeks. http://www.schillerinstitute.com/tra...dt_gk_pns.html

**Tdol** · #7 21-Aug-2003, 11:42

Numerous is not the same as infintie- you will run out of contexts eventually. I do not mean that it will be exhausted, but theoretically there is a limit. A finite number of words and a finite number of rules cannot, IMO, generate infinity.

dduck · #8 21-Aug-2003, 19:38

Depends what you mean by language?

If language is infinite the following has to count too, doesn't it:

language you what ? mean depends by.

Does it count?
Iain

**Tdol** · #9 21-Aug-2003, 19:58

It's a teoretical model, but you could list all the rules that would make meaningful utterances and that would be finite, no matter how far you extended it.

#10 09-Feb-2004, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthew

by just using a simple sentence "hit the dog."By position the sentence to diffenet situation, it can have infinite definition, for example, when I see the robbers stealing food, where this sentence can be . The human mind has the capacity to understand such metaphor as we have seen through the works of shakespeare, schiller, and many others. therefore even with finite words to use, the usage of it, is infinte and can produce different effects.
wilhelm von humboldt is a great intellectual and humanitarian, who promote repulblicism around the world, to counter the British's empiricism. His work is always unforgettable due to its significant insight. i would recommend everybody to read it.
here's one where he reveal the reason for the rise of the greatest civilization ever known in history, the greeks. http://www.schillerinstitute.com/tra...dt_gk_pns.html

Quote:

Why is there metaphors, used in lyric can be use in another form to make the same quote like if was using, i open up my heart, to let out what was in it, and i can ask no more, :D