Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site turing.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!zentec!qumix!qubix!ios!oliveb!hplabs!hao!seismo!mcvax!turing!aeb From: aeb@turing.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: natural language deficiencies? Message-ID: <215@turing.UUCP> Date: Fri, 26-Oct-84 18:44:49 EST Article-I.D.: turing.215 Posted: Fri Oct 26 18:44:49 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 28-Oct-84 06:51:31 EST References: <12582@sri-arpa.UUCP> <12300003@uicsl.UUCP> <194@oliveb.UUCP> <619@gloria.UUCP> <801@aplvax.UUCP> Organization: CWI, Amsterdam Lines: 16 Apparently-To: rnews@mcvax.LOCAL > It is well-known that the Hopi (American Indian) language only has a > present tense, there are no past or future tenses for their verbs. > Surely this is a language deficiency. It is well known that the English language only has active verb forms and has to resort to circumlocution to render passive or reflexive forms. Surely this is a language deficiency. It is well known that the English verb does not have diminutive forms so that separate words are required to render the diminutive meaning. Surely this is a language deficiency. Cf. Danish: de smaaskaendtes 'they quarrelled a little with each other' ( ... bickered ...) -- Andries Brouwer -- CWI, Amsterdam -- {philabs,decvax}!mcvax!aeb