tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon May 22 08:51:35 1995
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Re: coffee
On Mon, 22 May 1995, Mark E. Shoulson wrote:
> You were talking about something else. So you invented a coining which
> made perfect sense IN HINDSIGHT. To you. And not necessarily to anyone
> else who read it. I note that *two* independent people thought it was
> bleach.
>
> A hindsight-word is what I call a word/coining that only makes sense once
> you already know what it is (admittedly, it may be describing itself).
....clip
I completely agree with MS's point to the degree, this is why I strongly
suggest that a Klingon on seeing cream in the coffee would call it "white
coffee": >qa'vIn chIS<... If a Klingon were to *describe* cream, he
would probably call it "thing that makes coffee white": >qa'vInchISmoHwI'<
Not only must one address the hindsight problem; but the "context" must
be included too.
Dave.