On Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:07:53 -0800, Rick Johnson wrote: > My specific point is that the English word "variable" is unambiguous
I'm sorry, do you mean "variable" the noun, or "variable" the adjective? If you mean the adjective, do you mean something which naturally changes, in the sense that the amount of rainfall is naturally variable, or a collection of independent things which individually are constant but collectively vary, such as the heights of children in a classroom are variable? If you mean the noun, do you mean a factor which is likely to vary, as in "the weather is one variable to consider", or a quantity that is capable of taking on a multitude of values, or a symbol which represents a fixed but unknown quantity? If you're going to claim that an English word is unambiguous, you probably should choose an example with only one meaning. > we should NEVER > re-interpret existing words (in an illogical manner) whilst transforming > them into specific disciplines. I'm sorry yet again, did you mean "discipline" in the sense of punishment, "discipline" in the sense of learning by instruction and exercise, "discipline" in the sense of submission to authority, or "discipline" in the sense of a field of study? I am sorry[1] to ignore the main points of your post in favour of attacking the very foundations of your argument, but if you build your argument on counter-factuals (assumptions about English language which are not, in fact, true) then even if your reasoning is utterly logical in every step, the conclusion is still dubious. [1] Ah who am I kidding? -- Steven -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
