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Bonus 9: Is X a sandwich? Solving the word-meaning argument once and for all
🕑 Added 2017-11-02 22:05:40 +0000 UTCWe asked you if a burrito was a sandwich, and you said 'no'. We asked you if ravioli was a sandwich and you said 'heck no'. We asked you if an ice cream sandwich was a sandwich and things...started to get a little murky. This isn't just a sandwich problem: you can also have similar arguments about what counts as a cup, a bird, a fish, furniture, art, and more!
So wait...does any word mean anything anymore? Have we just broken language?? It's okay, linguistics has a solution!
In this bonus episode, Gretchen and Lauren talk about why deciding what's in and what's out of the definition of a word is so dang tricky, why people love to argue about it, and how prototype theory solves all the "is X a Y" arguments once and for all.
Links:
- Ann Leckie on Fangirl Happy Hour
- Jaffa cake: cake or biscuit? (UK)
- Crostini: bread or biscuit? (Aus)
- Tomato: fruit or vegetable?
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prototype_theory
- cup vs. bowl vs. vase
- cup vs. mug
- No Such Thing as a Fish (podcast)
- Harlem Shake (Wikipedia)
- Numa Numa (Wikipedia)
Thanks to all of our fabulous patrons for participating in the sandwich poll.
You can listen to this episode on this page, via the Patreon RSS or download the mp3. A transcript is available for this episode as a Google Doc. Lingthusiasm is also on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com or chat to us on the Patreon page.
Gretchen is on Twitter as @GretchenAMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic. Lauren is on Twitter as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.
Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our producer is Claire Gawne and our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles. Recorded on October 22 2017.
[Update: This is actually bonus 9, not bonus 8! Sorry 'bout that permalink.]
Comments
I’d just like to point out that penguins do have feathers, and there is a scientific definition of a bird: If it has feathers, it’s a bird.
Ew, no. Harlem shake and Gangnam style are not memes, they're trends
