Words
It so happens that outside of the time I spend trying to help solve the current global financial crisis, I spend a great deal of my time searching for a certain amount of “enlightenment.” As it so happens, recently (in the past day or two) I think I crossed a hurdle. And in so doing, it made me curious to look up the definitions of a few “words” that I have been giving consideration. Now I would like to share with you my findings:
1) Word = a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sound or written representations, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning, is separated from other such units in writing and speech, is composed of one or more morphemes with relative freedom to enter into syntactic constructions, and is either the smallest unit susceptible of independent use or consists of two or three units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent which distinguishes black’bird from black’ bird’.
I’m not kidding that is the First full definition for word in my college dictionary!
Now think on these definitions:
2) Morpheme = any of the minimal grammatical units of language that cannot be divided into smaller independent grammatical parts.
3) Meaning = that which is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import.
And finally, the word that started my initial search.
4) Thought = the product of mental activity (consciousness, my word for mental activity)–typically associated with the mind.
I kind of find the last addition to be quite funny–that is, that thought is typically associated with the mind. It makes me wonder what other places the definition writers associated with thought other than the mind.
Oh well. Have a good one.
Indy, May 2009