THEORY OF GAMES, 1944

[Salikoko Mufwene]

At 12:00 PM 4/9/2001 -0400, Thomas Paikeday wrote:

>In discussing who used "game theory" first, I think we should give prior
>consideration to who first used "theory of games." The question is, is
>"game theory" lexically different from "theory of games"? I think all
>noun+noun phrases OF THIS KIND start with the above kind of phrase.
>Thus, we have "professor of linguistics" vis-a-vis "lingusitcs
>professor," "box of matches" v. "matchbox," etc., etc.
>
     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)?

>I think it all boils down to a question of usage, whether in a given
>context one would say "theory of games" or "game theory."

     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.

>Of course, the
>latter is shorter and faster to utter, hence the abbreviated form in the
>first place, but I think the canonical form in compounds of this type
>should be the linguistically original form.
>
      I cannot interpret this.

Sali.


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Salikoko S. Mufwene                        s-mufwene at uchicago.edu
University of Chicago                      773-702-8531; FAX 773-834-0924
Department of Linguistics
1010 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/linguistics/faculty/mufwene.html
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