"Hear" as "understand"

[Bernard Caron]

Hausa (a Chadic language spoken) as well as closely related other Chadic
languages has exactly what you are looking for :

The concept "understand" is most commonly expressed by the verb "ji",
"hear". The same verb (ji) has the general meaning of "feeling". Litterally,
you "hear a smell", you "hear pity, anger, etc." 
A less common alternative to the word "ji" with the meaning "understand" is
the Arabic loanword (fahimta).

Bernard CARON

#13, Nagwamase Crst 
A.B.U. Zaria
NIGERIA 
(++234 802 60 80 553)



-----Message d'origine-----
De : funknet-bounces at mailman.rice.edu
[mailto:funknet-bounces at mailman.rice.edu] De la part de Nino Amiridze
Envoyé : lundi 1 février 2010 20:38
À : LINGTYP at listserv.linguistlist.org; funknet at mailman.rice.edu
Objet : [FUNKNET] "Hear" as "understand"

Dear colleagues,

I was wondering whether you could help me in finding languages that
use the verb 'hear' for 'understand', just like English uses 'see' for
the same purpose (I see (=I understand)).

I would be grateful if you could give data and/or references, if there
are investigations on the use of the 'see' vs. 'hear' verbs in
figurative language.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Nino Amiridze
http://www.hum.uu.nl/medewerkers/n.amiridze/

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