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To: mjp
A word is just a symbol for a concept. The same word can be used to symbolize several different concepts that are still somewhat similar in meaning.

The enormous flaw in that argument is that words are meant to communicate specific meanings. While a word may convey many concepts, as you say, the meanings will be different for others who maintain a different "concept" of the word. That leads to linguistic chaos. While language and word meanings do change over time, the essential factor is that a majority must agree on meanings or language becomes useless as a means of communicating ideas.

64 posted on 11/16/2019 8:57:55 AM PST by Bernard Marx
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To: Bernard Marx

I cannot agree with you. Which of the 430 meanings of the word “set” listed in the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is the “correct” one?


66 posted on 11/16/2019 9:48:24 AM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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