What's in a name?

Question

Say I call this a website. What if you also call it a website, but to you it is something completely different than a website.

Or what if i say "the table is orange". You see a table, but to you it is actually the color green, however to you the word for green is orange.

Sorry, it's a bit confusing. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I have these thoughts too sometimes. Who decided that certain things should be called what they are called today. Why is a rabbit a rabbit and not called a lion. Or would decided that orange will be called orange and not be called green! It does get confusing but it is still fun to think about and at least it passes the time.

Answer 2

It is called a translation error. Concepts are inextricably embedded with language. When something is identified by different words that have a different meaning in each language you get the error. A good example is "madam". In English it is an insult when it means a matron in a house of ill repute, but in French it is a common, formal mode of addressing a matronly woman. The difference can sometimes be a fist-fight.

In our many languages of today, common words can mean many things. Slang is the worst offender of all. However communication problems pale when dealing with machines. A simple thing like "red" can come to mean many different shades. I've seen girls argue for hours and get quite angry over whether a color is teal or blue.

Answer 3

I think, it depends on mass-perception. If u take the color green as orange, general people wont accept ur thinking, isn't it ?
We've already given certain names to certain things, following or without following rules of nomenclature. Like we've defined "God" to be an omnipotent existence. The name would be given something else in place of "God" (like my mother language is Bengali 'n in Bengali God is called "Bhagwan", but the meaning is same, so right u r, what's in a name).
Anyways, what's the reason behind ur name : "Hambone"?

Answer 4

This is the argument I use when people tell me that curse words are bad. Just thinking of the subject makes my blood boil.

Its also a very easy way to confuse people. You speak about colors but not about the color but the words that represent colors. This is where most people become lost. So much fun :D

Answer 5

The word is a description for communication.This proves that words most of the time is short to portray the mind of the speaker. That is the reason why there's a saying "read between the lines"

Answer 6

This is a common issue. The mechanisms of adaptation by means of communication will come into play, and the issue will get resolved. With a time, a language will get modified into a form more acceptable for everybody in a group of people.

Answer 7

Depends where you were raised, and how, to comprehend our little world. So if say "she seems a little blue", I'm thinking sad, the one next to me may think of a smurf. Personally, I think it's awesome to learn interpretations people have, say, Americans say bonnet for those old western female hats, the English think the top of a car. Cool, difference makes the world exciting.

Answer 8

Only what you invest in it...I used to be troubled by this concept as well, then I figured it doesn't really matter if we all see the same thing as long as there is consensus that whatever any of sees, we all agree to call it by a common name.

Answer 9

Names and languages are usually based on customs. There is need that we should evolve a language which is objective, precise as mathematics and should follow logic than custom.

Answer 10

its an i.d, but i dont know about seeing a different color