Saturday, June 1, 2013

milk spills and chocolate syntax

after spending any amount of time in Dictionopolis, one cannot help but accumulate acquire amass gather garner earn procure an appreciation of language. many different words can be used to converge on a single intention, but i recently found myself fathoming the flexibility of our signifiers words lexemes units of language. they have the amazing ability to have totally different meanings even when they line up in the exact same order. that is something they certainly positively absolutely unequivocally cannot do in Digitopolis.

something interesting about the foliage in Dictionopolis, all of the trees look similar to these, which illustrate my growing fondness of the flexibility of words:

(tourists don't take many pictures of the foliage in Dictionopolis...) these words are in the exact same order yet they have entirely different intentions. to put the words and their multiple (two) meanings into context, here are several example sentences--the first and third sentences using the NP (Noun Phrase) structure and the second and fourth examples using the S (Sentence) structure shown above:

1. i like milk spills and chocolate chips. these are a few of my favorite things.

2. i like when milk spills and chocolate chips.

3. i like when milk spills and chocolate chips mix.

(this next one is my favorite)

4. when valleys flood and mountains crumble, when tears fall and hearts break, when milk spills and chocolate chips, i am reminded of the fleeting impermanence of life.