[Lexicog] Sprachgefuhl

[Richard Rhodes]

People say "game sense" (49 million hits on 
google). And "ball sense" (13 million hits). And 
there are plenty of less than professional 
quality ball players who have good ball sense and 
good game sense.

But ball sense doesn't really apply to golf. It 
means the player knows were the ball is going to 
be and so reacts appropriately, so it applies to 
games in which the player must react to the path 
of ball (soccer, American football, basketball, 
baseball, tennis, field hockey, etc.). 
(Interestingly, I had never heard "puck sense" 
for ice hockey, but it gets a million hits on 
google and the definition matches "ball sense".)

Game sense is about understanding the flow of the 
game, and again is mostly about tactics and 
players' ability to solve tactical problems. 
Doesn't really apply to golf. It even seems odd 
to me for tennis.

Rich Rhodes

>Scott,
>
>
>
>I wonder how you define "Sprachgefühl." That 
>would help me to answer your question.
>
>I also wonder why certain words are borrowed 
>from other languages. English has not
>
>borrowed "Ballgefühl" which exceptional players 
>of games have where a ball plays a role
>
>(Diego Maradona, Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal). How 
>would one say "Ballgefühl" in English?
>
>
>
>Fritz Goerling
>
>Is this the wrong list to ask whether, in your opinion or research,
>Sprachgefuhl varies most by class, region, or level of education?
>
>Scott Catledge
>
>
>
>
>


-- 
******************************************************************
    Richard A. Rhodes
    Department of Linguistics
    University of California
    Berkeley, CA 94720-2650
    Voice (510) 643-7325
    FAX (510) 643-5688

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