Comments on: Does Japanese Have a Word for “Water”? http://semantics-online.org/2007/08/does-japanese-have-a-word-for-water A weblog on semantics, pragmatics, philosophy of language, and intersections thereof Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:33:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: fintel http://semantics-online.org/2007/08/does-japanese-have-a-word-for-water#comment-12028 fintel Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:02:57 +0000 http://semantics-online.org/2007/08/does-japanese-have-a-word-for-water#comment-12028 <ol> <li>"mizu" and "yu" are said by different people but the second speaker answers positively to the yes/no-question of the first speaker. So, the second speaker is in effect demonstrating that "mizu" covers both cold and hot water. If "mizu" meant "cold water", the second speaker should have answered "No, there's only yu".</li> <li>Your proposed test is interesting as well, but the test I report here is just as much a real test as yours.</li> </ol>
  • “mizu” and “yu” are said by different people but the second speaker answers positively to the yes/no-question of the first speaker. So, the second speaker is in effect demonstrating that “mizu” covers both cold and hot water. If “mizu” meant “cold water”, the second speaker should have answered “No, there’s only yu”.
  • Your proposed test is interesting as well, but the test I report here is just as much a real test as yours.
    • ]]>         By: Zuoan http://semantics-online.org/2007/08/does-japanese-have-a-word-for-water#comment-12026 Zuoan Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:24:00 +0000 http://semantics-online.org/2007/08/does-japanese-have-a-word-for-water#comment-12026 <p>This is a nice counter-example but 'mizu' and 'yu' are said by different people. Perhaps the real test is if the same speaker can use both words in the same utterance. Can someone say something like this in Japanese "I want some mizu. Yu or cold mizu is fine"?</p> This is a nice counter-example but ‘mizu’ and ‘yu’ are said by different people. Perhaps the real test is if the same speaker can use both words in the same utterance. Can someone say something like this in Japanese “I want some mizu. Yu or cold mizu is fine”?

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