6.1164, Qs: Scientific terms, Modals, Knowledge rep, Eugene O'Neill

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-1164. Mon Aug 28 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  175
 
Subject: 6.1164, Qs: Scientific terms, Modals, Knowledge rep, Eugene O'Neill
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
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Editor for this issue: dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu (Ann Dizdar)
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[We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
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---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Sun, 27 Aug 1995 13:21:57 EDT
From:  sgriffin at nsf.gov (Steve Griffin)
Subject:  Scientific Terms and Disciplinary Context
 
2)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 16:15:21 +0200
From:  hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp (hiro-t)
Subject:  Query: can't / must not / mustn't
 
3)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 09:47:00 BST
From:  hamp at heidelbg.ibm.com (Birgit Hamp)
Subject:  knowledge representation
 
4)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 20:55:06 +1000
From:  byang at chonbuknms.chonbuk.ac.kr (Byong-seon Yang)
Subject:  Asking Video Tapes  written by Eugene O'Neill
 
---------------------------------Messages------------------------------------
1)
Date:  Sun, 27 Aug 1995 13:21:57 EDT
From:  sgriffin at nsf.gov (Steve Griffin)
Subject:  Scientific Terms and Disciplinary Context
 
I am collecting examples of terms occuring frequently in scientific
discourse which have different meanings across disciplines.  I see this as
one source of problems of communication at interdisciplinary scientific
workshops.
 
Examples of such terms which I have observed being used (differently) at
workshops include:
 
"system"
-  in the engineering and the physical sciences communities  "system" is
more likely to be used to connote static, dynamic and functionally
deterministic assemblages; in others "system" might also include animate,
stochastic, adaptive complexes and processes
 
"object"
-  in some disciplines "object" refers solely to physical entities; in
others, it includes abstract structures, processes and relationships; in
still others "object" can refer to anything that anyone can conceive of
 
"model"
-  the implications of the term "model" varies greatly according to
discipline: logical models,  computational "models",  mathematical
"models", molecular "models" , economic models, etc.  suggest very
different source <-> model relationships and transform functions
 
I would be very grateful for any examples anyone might offer.   I would
also be interested in personal vignettes describing the discusive
situations in which these terms may have been used differently.
 
Stephen M. Griffin
sgriffin at nsf.gov
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2)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 16:15:21 +0200
From:  hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp (hiro-t)
Subject:  Query: can't / must not / mustn't
 
Dear Lingusits,
    One of my colleagues asked me to send a query on this list. I am also
interested in this problem. Please send a reply to me directly. His query is:
 
*********************************************************************
   I am now working on a paper about the negation of epistemic modals.
I have two queries to ask.
 
A. Could you tell me which is the most suitable one in the following choices?
 
  (1) Sam isn't eating his food. He {can't / must not / mustn't} be hungry.
 
  (2) A: I saw Prof. Smith in the dining room.
      B: He {Can't / must not / mustn't} be there. I just saw him in his office
.
 
  (3) A: Who are you calling?
      B: Dick. The phone is ringing, but there's no answer. He {can't / must no
t
        / mustn't} be home.
 
  (4) A: Someone is knocking a the door. It may be Mary.
      B: It {can't / must not / mustn't} be Mary. She went to a movie tonight.
 
  (5) A: Sally has flunked every test so far this semester.
      B: She {can't / must not / mustn't} have studied very hard.
 
  (6) A: Someone told me that Jane quit school.
      B: You're kidding! That {can't / must not / mustn't} be true.
 
B: Could you give me a dialogue using _can't_ and a dialogue using
   _must not_ (or mustn't_)? In this case, _can't_ means "It is not possible
   that..." and _must not_ (or _mustn't_) means "It is certain that...not...
*********************************************************************
 
Thanks a lot in advance. I am looking forward to your reply.
 
Best Wishes,
Hiroaki Tanaka, Tokushima university, Japan.
e-mail: hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp
 
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3)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 09:47:00 BST
From:  hamp at heidelbg.ibm.com (Birgit Hamp)
Subject:  knowledge representation
 
Hi,
 
I am interested in the field of knowledge representation and recent
work which is done in this area with respect to linguistics.
Could anybody point out literature to me which takles the issue of
linguistic knowledge and knowledge representation formalisms, areas
they apply to and especially open questions?
 
Thanks in advance,
Birgit Hamp
 
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
Birgit Hamp
Eppelheimerstr. 52 A
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
 
e-mail: hamp at heidelbg.ibm.com
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4)
Date:  Mon, 28 Aug 1995 20:55:06 +1000
From:  byang at chonbuknms.chonbuk.ac.kr (Byong-seon Yang)
Subject:  Asking Video Tapes  written by Eugene O'Neill
 
I am looking for the video tapes on "Long Day's Journey into
Night" and "Desire under the Elm", which are written by
 ~r Eugener O'Neill, an American writer.
        My department students have a plan to perform these two
dramas in this fall. We would like to see the tapes for practice.
In Korea, it is very hard to find these tapes. If you have
any information that I can find it with. Please, let me know.
I would like to buy it as soon as possible.
If you give me the video seller's phone #, I will order it by
fax or phone.
        I would like to say 'Thank you' in advance.
Sincerely,
Byong-seon Yang.
E-mail: byang at chonbuknms.chonbuk.ac.kr
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