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dnpgr16513
Joined: 14 Jun 2010
Posts: 75
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 Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
I'm confused as to why A isn't the correct answer.
"Being universally understood by the devotees of the particular science or art, they have the precision of a mathematical formula."
If English was constantly changing, how could it be universal?
thanks! |
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t.ahmadi82819
Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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"Here new terms are coined...and abandoned with indifference when they have served their term."
Is this supposed to mean English words are removed from the language? I don't see how that necessarily means removed, not commonly using the word.
Thanks. |
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jeanne7524
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| dnpgr16513 wrote: | Hi,
I'm confused as to why A isn't the correct answer.
"Being universally understood by the devotees of the particular science or art, they have the precision of a mathematical formula."
If English was constantly changing, how could it be universal?
thanks! |
Hi there!
This pertains to technical terms in the natural and political science and in the mechanic arts. Also, the line clearly refers to the technical words as being "universally understood" by those who are in that same particular field of study. In general though, being dynamic is one of the major requisites of any language to be alive, i.e., constantly evolving yet universally understood through usage and familiarity of it by the larger population.
Hope this clarifies. |
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jeanne7524
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| t.ahmadi82819 wrote: | "Here new terms are coined...and abandoned with indifference when they have served their term."
Is this supposed to mean English words are removed from the language? I don't see how that necessarily means removed, not commonly using the word.
Thanks. |
Hi!
You have to understand the ideas presented in the passage within their context: this passage refers to words that are coined or "invented" by practitioners of certain highly specialized fields. So, the English words being referred here are mainly the technical terms/jargons. For example, a literary critic would describe a certain writing style as "jiggy", to mean an ineffective play of words with rhythm and rhyme that resemble a tasteless song-and-dance performance. After that critic coins the term, he/she may or may not use "jiggy" in future write-ups or discussions with other critics. The word may not even find its way to common conversations and may sound off or alien to the "general public".
Hope this answers your query. |
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