Babel

What is Occam's razor?

Good on ya, Jim, mate.....this forum is all about LANGUAGE and related topics and not politics, religion and other irrelevant things. I do love the thread on American English v The Rest.

PS: I have to say this though....I agree with your sentiments in your first and second posts above. Shining example? Like the curate's egg..good in parts, aye.

Ockham's razor (also Occam's razor) - A rule in science and philosophy stating that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. This rule is interpreted to mean that the simplest of two or more competing theories is preferable and that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known. Also called law of parsimony.

Yeah, let's stick to language. I'm sorry if I let myself reply to the off-topic comments made by certain people on this thread.

That "certain people" you are referring to would be, I presume. I just couldn't let those little snippy little remarks about Christianity go by without comment. Yeah, like you said Jim stick to the topic at hand without feeling the need to take pot shots at other people's beliefs. Thank you, that would be very much appreciated if you did what exaclty what you preach.

So I shall. Sorry for getting off topic. I'll be letting any little snippy little remarks go by without comment in future. I'm not about to mention names nor do I want to get into a "Who started it?" debate. All that would be off-topic. Got to Europa II if you want to get off-topic.

Ok. Ditto

I believe that the story of Babel is valuable as an allegory or a fable, in which there is a inherent truth.
It expresses the fact, that mankind is constantly in a state of dissent and change, and it it would be foolish to expect that in that turmoil and in an ever changing and expanding universe, that the language which we describe our world would remain constant.

The only languages that have remain constant over long periods of change in the world are dead languages. (i.e. Latin, Sanskrit, Hebrew, etc. )

Regards, Paul V.

I agree. Languages which remain static die. Vive la difference!

<< little snippy little remarks>>

Oh, look Jim made the same mistake I committed. How cute.

Or was it intentional?

Indeed ... I'll leave you guessing ...

Nah, I already know you did it to spite me. How rude!

No, not spite ... just light-hearted fun.