[Lexicog] Deductions - mind or emotions

[Lesley Jezierny]

I was reluctant to jump in, but I've been following this discussion and
wondering too about the subtleties of communicating in a
second-language. 
 
I was thinking along the lines of someone trying to be polite, offering
assistance, with the implication: I suspect that you do not know the way
(and do you need help finding it?)
 
Lesley
 
-----Original Message-----
From: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Cheryl Reitz
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 11:10 AM
To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Lexicog] Deductions - mind or emotions
 
I have a feeling you may be lost, but I think I can help you. - In these
cases have+feeling and think show conjecture/possibility/request for
confirmation from other. Perhaps the woman in Japan, who was not a
native speaker of English, meant 'have a feeling' rather than 'feel'.
Cheryl
  _____  

From: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
dick_watson at sil.org
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 5:54 AM
To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Lexicog] Deductions - mind or emotions




 
Dear John,

> My colleague said "I feel you do not know the way to the faculty 
> building." In my mind (not my heart) I flagged this up as a 
> collocational clash of "feel" with "know". As a native English speaker
I 
> would never use "feel" in this context, I would use "think" or
"believe" 
> to express my deduction. But then I thought, maybe for other native 
> speakers of English it would be OK to say "I feel you do not know the 
> way to the faculty building." Maybe it is a male/female thing. The 
> Korean colleague who said this is female. Or another possibility is
that 
> it is a politeness thing. Maybe the person who said this is wanting to

> weaken the judgement by using "feel" instead of "think".

Speaking from complete ignorance, the following idea came to mind:

Does this sound wrong because there is a clash of opinion strengths
going on.

I *feel=weak* you *do not=strong* know the way to the faculty building

if we weaken the second:

I feel you may not know where the way to the faculty building

then that's OK as would strengthening the first

I know you do not know the way to the faculty building

or strongest of all

You do not know the way to the faculty building

Me thinks that this strong weak thing may well crop up in 'management
speak' or 'political speach' where people try to give the impression of
speaking forthrightly and strongly while actually trying to speak weakly
so they can't be held accountable. After all strong + weak = weak.

Anyway, just a mad idea from a non-linguist.

Yours,
Martin 
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