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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site fortune.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!fortune!polard
From: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: English decaying
Message-ID: <5774@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Nov-85 13:13:34 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.5774
Posted: Wed Nov 13 13:13:34 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Nov-85 07:26:14 EST
References: <1427@cae780.UUCP> <2472@sunybcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry polard)
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 35
Summary: English is not the predicate calculus (surprise!)

In article <2472@sunybcs.UUCP> colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes:
>> Am I getting more sensitive, or is the English language, as used,
>> becoming less logical?
>
>> On all airlines now, for example, the landing message is always "We
>> would like to welcome you to ...".  Well then, why don't they DO it?
>> Isn't "We would like to welcome you to New York" different from
>> "Welcome to New York"?  Don't you expect the first to continue with
>> "but, unfortunately, we landed in  ..."?
>
>The prelude gives your ears time to get used to the sound of the speaker.

Also, language conveys more than just "logical" information.  It also conveys
social and emotional information.  The logic of language is often implied 
rather than overt, and therefore superficial analyses such as the original
posting often lead one astray.
What the airline is really saying is something like, "we want 
to give to you, dearest friend and valued patron, a proper welcome celebration,
with fanfares, champagne, great food, etc. but due to circumstances beyond 
our control, this is not possible."
Similarly, the most polite way to offer someone something is
to say, "you absolutely must... (e.g, have a piece of this cake)"
This is illogical on the surface.  But it really says, "this (e.g, piece 
of cake) is so wretched and a general drag that only your duties and 
moral obligations as a proper guest could force you to partake of it."  
This is because it is considered good manners to be humble.

Robin Lakoff wrote an article a few years back in 
_Language_ explaining this.

-- 
Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.)
{ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard
N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions
of me, my employer, or any AI project.