[Lexicog] Law of Synonyms

[Kenneth C. Hill]

In my experience a "portable" computer is not necessarily a "laptop" or "notebook" computer. My first computer (in 1985) was a KayPro with a (wow!) 10-megabyte hard disk. Its keyboard and central processing unit, including the monitor with a green display, clipped together to form a single unit about the size of a suitcase. It was portable but rather heavy and would never be regarded as a "laptop" computer. 

--Ken

--- On Thu, 10/16/08, Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:
From: Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org>
Subject: RE: [Lexicog]  Law of Synonyms
To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008, 10:26 AM










    
            







Jon, 

Maybe one of use. I only use the word ‘computer’ although I
know that is not precise. I was surprised during a recent 7-month-stay in Germany to hear
only the word “notebook.” Denotatively all three refer to the same
thing. Semantically the accent is put of different aspects: you can put it on
your lap, 

It functions like a notebook, you can
carry it. 

Fritz Goerling 







Fritz,

What would you say is the semantic difference 

between 'laptop', 'notebook' and 'portable computer', then?

Jon Mills



--- In lexicographylist@ yahoogroups. com,
"Fritz Goerling" 

<Fritz_Goerling@ ...> wrote:

>

> Is there a law of synonyms? I don't believe in synonyms. No two 

words are

> exactly "synonymous" from the point of view of connotation.

> 

> Concerning your example from the computer domain, let me mention 

another

> example, given to me by a computer specialist. Who speaks of 'jump 

drive' or

> 'pen drive' any more? It's probably between 'flash drive' 

and 'thumb drive'

> nowadays. And who knows what will come up next.

> 

> When two or more expressions come up at about the same time and 

compete,

> 'brevity (punch)' is one factor IMO that makes the winner.

> 

> 

> 

> Brevity is the soul of wit (Shakespeare, Hamlet 2, 86-92),

> 

> Fritz Goerling

> 

> Law of Synonyms 

> There must be a law of synonyms somewhere (of phrasal synomyms 

> in particular). Dictionaries and thesauruses (thesauri) seem too 

> arbitrary & random too trust for this purpose. Of course, corpora 

> listings are easy for words. I've been wondering for years what the 

> world would gravitate toward -- "laptop" or "notebook"


> computer. "Portable computer" seems quaint, but... The reason
I'm 

> fishing in this pond is that I would hate wading through 

> dissertations or theses looking for synonym principles (must be 

lazy 

> or something). The only simple, quick source for finding phrasal 

> frequency comparisons seems to be google-counting. "Laptop" 

(computer

> (s)) wins on this one, generally by 22%-30%. But we're dealing with 

> the `phrase' "notebook computer" and "laptop
computer." 

> Googling "notebook" alone skews the results. 

> Has anyone done, or seen, research about how one term (or 

> phrase) tends to predominate over others -- when two or more 

> expressions begin at about the same time? Is is there a phonetic 

> (e.g. reduplicative, length, ease-of-pronunciati on) influence? Is 

> there a "great-man" influence, according to coiner? First come, 

first 

> served? Regional? Or is it truly unpredicable? 

> This is an open-ended question.... Any ideas?

> 

> Scott Nelson

> 







	
	


      

    
    
	
	 
	
	








	


	
	


      
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