the meaning of words
Paul Janse (PJanse@compuserve.com)
Tue, 24 Nov 1998 04:19:17 -0500
Reading the discussion on authorial intent and the meaning of texts I
cannot resist quoting Humpty Dumpty:
"I don't know what you mean by `glory,'" Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't - till I tell
you. I meant `there is a nice knock-down argument for you!'"
"But `glory' doesn't mean `a nice knock-down argument,'" Alice objected.
"When *I* use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, "it means just what I choose i=
t
to mean - neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you *can* make words mean so many=
different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's
all."
Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dump=
ty
began again. "They have a temper, some of them - particularly verbs: they=
are the proudest - adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -
however *I* can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That's wha=
t
*I* say!"
"Would you tell me please," said Alice, "what that means?"
"Now you talk like a reasonable child," said Humpty Dumpty, looking very
much pleased. "I meant by `impenetrability' that we've had enough of that=
subject, and it would be just as well if you'd mean to stop here all the
rest of your life."
"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful
tone.
"When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I
always pay it extra."
"Oh!" said Alice. She was too much puzzled to make any other remark.
"Ah, you should see 'em come round me of a Saturday night," Humpty Dumpty=
went on, wagging his head gravely from side to side, "for to get their
wages, you know."
What more is there to be said? Lewis Carroll has an answer to everything.=
Abra, don't wait too much longer; read the Alice books! (and The Hunting =
of
the Snark, if you can spare the time)
Paul Janse