[Ads-l] "theoretical computer scientist"

[Laurence Horn]

> On Sep 22, 2016, at 4:38 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Yes. The more something sounds like it means something other than what it
> is, the more confusing it is.
> 
> "three-valued logician" means nothing to me, so I can accept it.

One who accepts three-valued logic, i.e. a third truth value distinct from true and false. You can substitute that example for "civil engineer". (See what I did there?).  The locus classics, I suppose, is "criminal lawyer".

LH
> 
> "historical linguist" could have the meaning of "a linguist historically",
> but that would require a supporting context.
> 
> "theoretical computer scientist" at first glance means "a computer
> scientist theoretically", which makes no sense, especially when you don't
> know "theoretical computer science" is a thing.
> 
> DanG
> 
> On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 4:25 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> 
>>> On Sep 22, 2016, at 4:06 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The headline reads:
>>> "NYU theoretical computer scientist among seven MacArthur 'genius' grant
>>> winners in New York"
>>> 
>>> It just feels so wrong...
>>> DanG
>> 
>> Any worse than "historical linguist" or, my favorite, "three-valued
>> logician"?
>> 
>> LH
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__urldefense.proofpoint&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=AH-9Eyq-aJAtX8GwZg-YPwepyqXPmz9Xe3k6XhiV80E&s=OJHn3HZHqYq4sWyfjVSWJUHfG4iNUcYVj3v7oHhAnnQ&e= .
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>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=AH-9Eyq-aJAtX8GwZg-YPwepyqXPmz9Xe3k6XhiV80E&s=gRIxTqmV-KuRHy_OSlOHxL9qxIvKaa2J2EdNSKy1jgk&e= 
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=CwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=AH-9Eyq-aJAtX8GwZg-YPwepyqXPmz9Xe3k6XhiV80E&s=gRIxTqmV-KuRHy_OSlOHxL9qxIvKaa2J2EdNSKy1jgk&e= 

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