The dictionary problem of future meaning.

Dec 06, 2012 23:53

Okay, now there's an interesting problem. It just occurred to me. Assume a lexicon or dictionary with a finite number of words in any language you like. Now, presumably words that enter a language can only be described by other words, the finite words in the list. Thus any new words must in some sense already be a part of the language, the explanation or definition of the word alongside its place, categorization and type must already pre-exist it as a possible combination and relation of and to the words that already exist in that language. Thus, it would seem, no new words can enter a language, merely new combinations and categorizations derived from the original finite list.
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