[Lexicog] Dishwashers and computers

[Patrick Hanks]

David -- 

I guess your question was intended as rhetorical but I'd like to take it
literally. I think there ARE also unconventional senses of words. These
include obsolete senses (e.g. the +HUMAN senses of "computer" and
"dishwasher") -- which have become unconventional over time -- and
exploitations of conventional senses such as freshly created metaphors (as
opposed to conventionalized metaphors) -- which may yet become conventional
in future -- e.g.

"a storm of feathers"
"a torrent of flood water swept through a North Wales hospital last night"
"Dubrovnik became a mousetrap"

Of course, you could take the view that these are not senses at all, but
something else. Or you could argue that they are conventional but
impoverished.  Or ....?

Patrick


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Tuggy" <david_tuggy at sil.org>
To: <lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Lexicog] Dishwashers and computers


> Are there any other kinds of senses of words?
>
> --David Tuggy
>
> Patrick Hanks wrote:
> > <snip>
> > "Properly"?  "Conventionally" might be better, as it does not have the
> > prescriptive overtones of "properly". The conventional senses of words
tend
> > to change unpredictably, as I guess everyone on this list knows.
> >
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>



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