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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
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> 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