[Ads-l] a semantic question for you

[Barretts Mail]

The OED has two examples under “triangle” with datings to 1964:

2(b) the Bermuda (also Devil's) Triangle: a name given to an area of sea between Bermuda and Florida credited with a high number of unexplained disappearances of boats and aircraft; hence used allusively; the golden triangle, an area at the meeting-point of Burma (Myanmar), Laos, and Thailand, where much opium is grown.

The OED has another under “North Atlantic” with a dating to 1945:

3. North Atlantic Triangle  n. Chiefly North American (orig. Canadian). an informal alliance between Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, esp. prior to the end of the Second World War (1939–45), for the purpose of economic, military, and other collaboration. Now chiefly hist.

Collings (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/triangle <https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/triangle>) includes under “triangle” for BrE:

3. any situation involving three parties or points of view

However, this seems inconclusive because it says “see also eternal triangle” which says: "You use the eternal triangle to refer to a relationship involving love and jealousy between two men and a woman or two women and a man.”

Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/triangle <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/triangle>) refers to the field of systemics in the sixth defintion. Science Daily (https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/triangle.htm <https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/triangle.htm>) says:

From the systemics perspective, triangle is the structure of every system composed with three reciprocally connected/interrelated abstract or real objects.

Benjamin Barrett (he/him/his)
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 17 Jul 2019, at 07:21, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Check Wikipedia for various "Iron Triangles."
> 
> The earliest may have been in North Korea.
> 
> The one in South Vietnam was often alluded to in wartime news reports.
> 
> JL
> 
> JL
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jul 17, 2019 at 2:17 AM Dave Hause <dwhause at cablemo.net> wrote:
> 
>> In Asia there is also the Golden Triangle (Thailand, Burma, & Laos.)
>> Dave Hause
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dan Goncharoff
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2019 9:58 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: a semantic question for you
>> 
>> I seem to remember a variety of geographic growth triangles in Asia:
>> HK-Taiwan-Guangdong, for example.
>> 
>> This is clearly not the same as the Dreilaendereck (three nations corner)
>> in German, which means a place where the borders of three countries meet.
>> There are three big ones in Germany.
>> 
>> The Central American triangle seems closer to the growth triangles (which
>> go back to the 90s, I think) than the Dreilaendereck.
>> 
>> On Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 10:03 PM Mark Mandel <markamandel at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> A question from a friend of mine:
>>> 
>>> When I was in Freiburg, the staff at the school referred to their area
>> as
>>> a
>>> triangle, a place where Germany, France, and Switzerland meet.
>>> Now the word triangle is being used to refer to three contiguous Central
>>> American countries.
>>> But I haven’t been able to find an explicit definition for this use of
>> the
>>> word triangle.
>>> Do you know of a source?
>>> This use of the word seems to be becoming more and more common.
>>> 
>>> I found a few uses and sent them to him, but nothing like a formal
>>> definition. I told him not to expect necessarily to find one: "This is
>>> *usage*, man." But does anyone know of such?
>>> 
>>> Mark Mandel


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