The set of words within a language.
Questions tagged [vocabulary]
78 questions
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Is there a language where people do not use weight for mass?
In common English usage people refer to their mass as weight. Nobody says "I mass 75 kilos". Likewise in modern Hebrew.
Do any languages actually use a variation of the phrasing "I foo 75 kilos" in everyday speech, where the word foo refers to the…
dotancohen
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Size of active vocabulary in hunter gather tribes
How big is the active vocabulary that an average hunter gather tribe in Africa uses? Is it comparable to the size of Western civilisation?
Christian
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Why do the names for Slavic languages frequently end in ски (ski)?
Does "ски"(ski) mean something on it's own or is it just a coincidence? Russian is Русский, Bulgarian is Български, Serbian is Srpski, Polish is Polski etc. Ukrainian is Українська.
jastako
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Animal or plant names used to describe children
I noticed in a few languages that people can address children using names of animals or plants, to show affection.
For example in English you get:
pumpkin, tiger (sorry, can't think of more examples, but please fill me in if you can)
In French…
user31246
2
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1 answer
Do all cultures have the 5 senses?
In English speaking cultures, we have the 5 traditional senses (sight, sound, taste, touch and smell), but I'm wondering if other cultures have only one word for two of those things, ie taste being considered the same as touch. Or if there are words…
Zaya
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Is the general concept behind "Eskimo words for snow" true?
The specific claim that "Eskimos have X words for snow" is heavily disputed.
However, is the general concept that certain cultures' languages often have a large number of words for things that are important in that culture valid?
Examples of this I…
Golden Cuy
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Is there a language where everyday speakers routinely use a unit of force to express their body weight?
This question is inspired by Is there a language where people do not use weight for mass?
When someone says "I weigh 75 kilograms" they are not necessarily using the wrong verb: assume the verb is correct, but they have chosen the wrong unit of…
Alex R
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Are there measures of language complexity?
I can find measures of "readability" but not language complexity (there might be another word for this, I give an example below) online. If anyone knows of any, would you list them?
By complexity I mean e.g.:
Simple
Bob is preparing fish for…
timothy.s.lau
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1 answer
Vocabulary Usage Patterns
Why do vocabulary sets used by one person within the same context differ as a result of the environment of execution? For example: reading, writing, speaking, listening, etc.
What are the "environments of execution" of significance that are…
blunders
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Do German and English share the same word roots?
The roots of English words, as we all know, mainly come from Greek and Latin. There is no doubt that knowing the Latin or Greek roots of English words greatly helps in memorizing them. For instance, "poly" means "many" in Greek, which makes…
Nali
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