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I thought it was strange that they started with "walking" because the aliens don't walk the same way humans do! Numbers are probably not a good starting point,

by lmkg 10y ago

I thought it was strange that they started with "walking" because the aliens don't walk the same way humans do! Numbers are probably not a good starting point, because they're surprisingly abstract. For example, there's no such thing as 1. You can have one of something, but you can't just have one. Number is a quality rather than a thing. In order to establish communication, you need to start with something where it is completely unambiguous what you're both referring to. You can do this with concrete things, not so much with qualities. Numbers above one are even harder. There's no such thing as 2. You have a thing, and you have another thing. In order to get to two, you first have to establish the idea of the one thing and the other thing being similar. Then you have to find a way of making it clear you wish to refer to the collection of things, which is an abstract thing. Then, you need to somehow figure out how to make it clear you wish to refer to this abstract quality of quantity about this abstract thing, rather than some other abstract quality about it such as its permanence or utility or orientation. Compared to this, talking about objects and actions seems a lot easier.d

panglott 10y ago
It just falls apart when you try to define mass nouns in terms of number. Different languages handle mass and count nouns different, just as Japanese where nouns have no inflection for number and you use conventionalized counter words to indicate quantity. "This is eight milk". Cups of milk? Glasses of milk? Cartons of milk? Liters of milk?
mamcx 10y ago
> I thought it was strange that they started with "walking" because the aliens don't walk the same way humans do! Neither dogs (Dogs don't(?) think(!) in that as "walking"). You still walk with your dog, and I think most people see a dog walking, and think: "Is walking!" Even if the way aliens "walk" were more like "swing" them see us moving from A to B. Maybe them translate them as "Moving from A to B". The we show them "running", and them translate it as "Moving from A to B faster". Eventually, them see a dolphin, and is moving more like them. Maybe them translate it as "Moonwalking". Still, different words and concepts from them eventually must equal to our own, and even if are not a perfect 1:1 translation is enough to convey things. For example, some ancients languages have different words for "Love" but ours use adjectives for them.

by lmkg 10y ago

panglott 10y ago

It just falls apart when you try to define mass nouns in terms of number. Different languages handle mass and count nouns different, just as Japanese where nouns have no inflection for number and you use conventionalized counter words to indicate quantity. "This is eight milk". Cups of milk? Glasses of milk? Cartons of milk? Liters of milk?

mamcx 10y ago

> I thought it was strange that they started with "walking" because the aliens don't walk the same way humans do! Neither dogs (Dogs don't(?) think(!) in that as "walking"). You still walk with your dog, and I think most people see a dog walking, and think: "Is walking!" Even if the way aliens "walk" were more like "swing" them see us moving from A to B. Maybe them translate them as "Moving from A to B". The we show them "running", and them translate it as "Moving from A to B faster". Eventually, them see a dolphin, and is moving more like them. Maybe them translate it as "Moonwalking". Still, different words and concepts from them eventually must equal to our own, and even if are not a perfect 1:1 translation is enough to convey things. For example, some ancients languages have different words for "Love" but ours use adjectives for them.