Editorial notes: The content below is Shai’s summary of “The Study of Language” (4th Edition) by George Yule[I]. Ch.3 THE SOUNDS OF LANGUAGE Phonetics = characteristics of speech sounds Articulatory phonetics = how speech sounds are made Vocal folds Voiceless = e.g. [s], [f], when they are open and air passes unimpeded Voiced = e.g. [z], [v], when they are drawn together...
Writings Systems – an introduction to their linguistic analysis by Florian Coulmas
Editorial notes: The content below is what looks like the beginning of a collection of quotes and thoughts gathered from Florian Coulmas’ [I] Writings Systems; an introduction to their linguistic analysis“[II]. Chapter 1 Aristotle “On Interpretation” : Words spoken are symbols of affections or impressions of the soul; written words are symbols of words spoken. And just as...
Jeremy Bentham
Quotes from Bentham’s[I] An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation[II]: Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand the standard of right and wrong, on the other the chain of causes and effects, are fastened to...
Babel Box
This is a box which has the ability to transform the nature of a book placed within it, in such a way that the audience (what may be considered the direction to which the author intends their ideas) is changed to a new, specific, target. The box only changes the one book which has been placed inside it, and all other similar books – including those books with otherwise identical text...
The Oregon Trail
In 2011, Universe published the ghoulishly-titled book 1001 Games You Must Play Before You Die[1]. The obvious question then follows, “Well, what’s number one?” The list’s ordered chronologically, but even so, it’s a game called The Oregon Trail. It’s from the mid 70’s. Today that makes it vintage, ten years ago it was old school, and ten years before...
Book: Cicero – Offices
A summary of intent of practicality in Bk.I[I]: (This approach is justified by the book’s opening passages; written to his son to guide him on his education, which is an achievement of life, and not merely its underlying theory). Duty, which defines what we must do with our lives, can be reduced into its essential elements: profit and honesty, and their interaction. Everything that we do...
Lucretius – The Nature of Things
Some essential part of stories lies in their telling. Here is a story: Kant has the idea of the sublime, whereby the aesthetic is significantly determined by its ability to transcend (and hence terrify) our senses. For instance the magnitude of a mountain or a storm – both threaten our sense of self and perception by impressing upon us fact that there is always more, forcing us to teeter...
Greenblatt – The Swerve
Summary: The rediscovery of Lucretius’ text by Italian scribe (Poggio Bracciolini) and its impact on contemporary / renaissance thinking. Quote: “[With Lucretius] it became possible – never easy, but possible – in the poet Auden’s phrase to find the mortal world enough.” {Preface} “Acediosus, sometimes translated as “apathetic,” refers to an illness...
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (BR)
Editorial notes: This Book Review was found as a ‘draft’ entry in Everything2. It was last updated on 03/05/2011. Away in the big city, people still sometimes glance up hopefully from the sidewalks, glimpsing a distant speck in the sky… but no: it’s only a bird, only a plane. Superman died ten years ago. This is an imaginary story. Aren’t they all? Whatever Happened...
Mere Christianity (BR)
Editorial notes: This Book Review was found as a ‘draft’ entry in Everything2 with the Summary section missing. It was last updated on 03/05/2011. C.S. Lewis is the British author best known for writing the Narnia series of books, but he also authored a number of books that discussed his religious beliefs, including this one – Mere Christianity. The book evolved out of a series...