Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!homxb!houdi!marty1 From: marty1@houdi.UUCP (M.BRILLIANT) Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng Subject: Re: spatial reference in natural langua Summary: Colonists occidented their maps Message-ID: <1439@houdi.UUCP> Date: 10 Dec 87 21:28:46 GMT References: <6818@sunybcs.UUCP> <123300003@inmet> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel Lines: 18 In article <123300003@inmet>, gjs@inmet.UUCP writes: > > Some directions arise from language evolution. Freeways have no > entrances, only exits. What is the origin of the term "down east" in > Maine? Travelers are told to hold their maps so the direction they face is up. Early colonists were going west, so their maps were read with west up, so east was down. The Romans, of course, going east to conquer, "oriented" their maps, so east was up. M. B. Brilliant Marty AT&T-BL HO 3D-520 (201)-949-1858 Holmdel, NJ 07733 ihnp4!houdi!marty1