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At 12:00 PM 4/9/2001 -0400, Thomas Paikeday wrote:<br>
<br>
>In discussing who used "game theory" first, I think we
should give prior<br>
>consideration to who first used "theory of games." The
question is, is<br>
>"game theory" lexically different from "theory of
games"? I think all<br>
>noun+noun phrases OF THIS KIND start with the above kind of
phrase.<br>
>Thus, we have "professor of linguistics" vis-a-vis
"lingusitcs<br>
>professor," "box of matches" v. "matchbox,"
etc., etc.<br>
><br>
<font size=4> This is dangerous reasoning that
unjustifiably makes one variant an antecedent of the other, or one a
prerequisite for the other. To begin with, do "box of matches"
and "match box" have identical meanings? Is it adequate to hand
a person an empty "box of matches?" What of phrases such as
"book of matches" (vs. #"match book" at least
regarding the intended meaning that has nothing to do with
match-making--better yet, "phone book" vs. *"book of
phones") and "bank record" (vs. #"record of
banks" regarding the relevant meaning)?<br>
<br>
</font><font size=3>>I think it all boils down to a question of usage,
whether in a given<br>
>context one would say "theory of games" or "game
theory." <br>
<br>
</font><font size=4>Perhaps "game
theory" has idiomatized to where it is difficult for me at least to
associate it with "theory of games," but it could also be that
its form favored the specialization of its present meaning in a way that
"theory of games" could not. However, I have heard/read both
"the principle of least effort" and "least effort
principle" without an obvious semantic difference.<br>
<br>
</font><font size=3>>Of course, the<br>
>latter is shorter and faster to utter, hence the abbreviated form in
the<br>
>first place, but I think the canonical form in compounds of this
type<br>
>should be the linguistically original form.<br>
><br>
</font><font size=4>I cannot interpret
this.<br>
<br>
<font size=4>Sali.<br>
<br>
</font><br>
<font color="#800000">**********************************************************<br>
Salikoko S.
Mufwene
</font><font color="#800080">s-mufwene@uchicago.edu<br>
</font><font color="#800000">University of
Chicago
</font><font color="#800080">773-702-8531; FAX 773-834-0924<br>
</font><font color="#800000">Department of Linguistics<br>
1010 East 59th Street<br>
Chicago, IL 60637<br>
</font><font color="#000000"><a href="http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/linguistics/faculty/mufwene.html" eudora="autourl">http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/linguistics/faculty/mufwene.html</a><br>
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