Humpty-Dumpty Theory of Lanaguage

Ken Hanly khanly at mb.sympatico.ca
Wed Oct 17 14:57:19 PDT 2001


Sorry !Carrol off list suggested that it was Humpty Dumpty who thought he could make words mean what he liked. Alice is on the other side! From Through the Looking Glass

Cheers, Ken Hanly

"There's glory for you!"

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't-till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' "

"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument,' " Alice objected.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less."

"The question is, " said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty. "which is to be master-that's all."



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