Question

[Kazunori Miyahata]

Dear SEELANGS,

I plan to catalog the various patterns of expression of the term
"meaning" in as many different languages as possible. I hope to pin
down some of the common and peculiar ways in which specific
languages refer to "meaning".

Please type (if possible) and address your replies to the questionnaire
below to me:

1) via e-mail to <kazm at center.osakafu-u.ac.jp>, (I am not
subscribed to this list, so direct is better) if the characters
you use will not be garbled through computer transmission, or

2) If you fear that transmission by computer will compromise
your responses, send your responses to me via surface mail at:

The College of Integrated Arts and Sciences
The University of Osaka Prefecture
1-1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai City,
Osaka 593 JAPAN

I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to cooperate
in my research endeavors. I would also be much obliged to you if you
would take the trouble to ask your friends to reply to the questionnaire
as well (so that I can get more data).

Thank you.

                                Kazunori Miyahata
                                kazm at center.osakafu-u.ac.jp


++++++++++++++QUESTIONNAIRE++++++++++++++

WITH REGARD TO YOUR MOTHER TONGUE:

A)  List as many expressions meaning "understand the meaning"
as you can think of and give a literal translation (an equivalent
expression) in English to each of the expressions you list.
[example (in the case of French): saisir le sens = seize the meaning, etc.]

B)  List as many expressions (set phrases) as you can think of which
you often use in your daily life and which contain a word corresponding
to the word "meaning" in English (other than those that you referred to
in A) and give a literal translation (an equivalent expression) in English
for each of the expressions you list.
[example (in the case of French):  vide de sens = lack of meaning , etc.]


C)  Please give me the following information about yourself.

Name:

Your Mother Tongue:

male/female       Age(if you don't mind):

Address (e-mail/surface):