Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
answer 'yes' or 'no'
if yes, explain what it means.
10 pts for the person who understands! = ]
2006-10-27 18:55:11 · 9 answers · asked by no clue 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
oops sorry
it's a sentence
2006-10-27 18:59:28 · update #1
for example,
'heeeey, did you hear what was going on in Buffalo?'
'yes. Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.'
'oooooh. i see.'
sorry it's a very dull conversation...
2006-10-27 19:02:25 · update #2
Yes.
"Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." is a grammatically correct sentence used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated constructs. It has been known to exist since 1972 when the sentence was used by William J. Rapaport, currently an associate professor at the University at Buffalo. It was posted to Linguist List by Rapaport in 1992. It was also featured in Steven Pinker's 1994 book The Language Instinct.
Another example would be the proverb: "Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you".
Hope this helps!
2006-10-27 19:00:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
to add on to Simon's answer:
The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo". In order of their first use, these are:
c. The city of Buffalo, New York.
a. The animal "buffalo", in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes"), in order to avoid articles.
v. The verb "buffalo", meaning to confuse, deceive, or intimidate
Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives:
Buffalo c buffalo a Buffalo c buffalo a buffalo v buffalo v Buffalo c buffalo a.
Thus, the sentence when parsed reads as a description of the pecking order in the social hierarchy of buffaloes living in Buffalo:
[Those] (Buffalo buffalo) [that] (Buffalo buffalo buffalo) buffalo (Buffalo buffalo)
[Those] buffalo(es) from Buffalo [that are intimidated by] buffalo(es) from Buffalo intimidate buffalo(es) from Buffalo.
Bison from Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.
lol, try reading that more than once and all you see are a lot of f's and b's and o's. anyways, that explains the sentence. I'm sorry I used the same source as simon.
2006-10-27 19:43:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does it mean the buffaloes from Buffalo baffled the other buffaloes from Buffalo?
2006-10-27 19:51:55 · answer #3 · answered by Skie 17 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe? Two little buffalo between two big Buffalo with a little buffalo in tow?
Sorry you lost me!
2006-10-27 19:01:19 · answer #4 · answered by unicornfarie1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all about the Buffalos.
2006-10-27 19:07:16 · answer #5 · answered by talonmke26 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I geddit...
Buffalo buffalo (buffalo from Buffalo NY)
buffalo (confuse)
Buffalo buffalo (buffalo from Buffalo NY)
So apparently buffalo from Buffalo are so confusing that they even confuse themselves.
Kinda like how chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken out
2006-10-27 19:47:45 · answer #6 · answered by Random Task 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how is it being used give us part of conversation
its in buffulo so there r buffalos thats what it means i am sure atleast thats what i make out of it
2006-10-27 18:58:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes.
Bison from Buffalo, New York, who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.
2006-10-27 19:04:39 · answer #8 · answered by Tori 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ya know, maybe you should think about going out and playing in the highway traffic. I did and look at how much it helped me.
toototolalafobuooha;tlpj'fogui' googjo;;fasioj''Can't beat that?
I am not strange, just unusual!!!
2006-10-27 20:20:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋