Respect goes both ways!

[Stanley Friesen]

At 09:34 AM 10/19/99 +0100, Larry Trask wrote:

>But the problem does not, I think, lie in the relation itself, which must be
>taken as transitive if it is to have any identifiable content -- at least in
>a non-fuzzy logic.

I guess I am not so adamant that sameness always be transitive.

It is generally rather messy to try to apply a transitive form of
similarity to biological entities, not just language.  For instance,
species delimitation can be difficult if one insists on transitivity (e.g.
the so-called ring species).  When does a fertilized egg become a new
individual?   So I just take it as *given* when talking about a biological
entity that the boundaries *are* fuzzy, as otherwise one must give up
almost all boundaries in biology.

And natural languages are clearly biological entities.  So fuzziness is the
only useful way to go.

--------------
May the peace of God be with you.         sarima at ix.netcom.com