I recognize that John Quejada was very ambitious to have the prevention of making a language as exact and precise as Mathematics. At first, I relate to Quejada because of his wanting to mix cool aspect of many languages to combine it together. This, by the way, for me would represent an incentive to learn the language. However, from my perspective, removing all metaphors form a language would make the language dull. Even Math has its own metaphors. These metaphors could be either clear : the sum of two and two; which is four. There are others that are more complex the product of the square root of the number 16 by the integer 1, still 4. Metaphors, apparently are intrinsic to languages or communication.
John Quijada probably made a comprehensive effort in forming this language , but, to me, unlike these Ukrainians, the language is not so much appealing.
Hi Stephanie,
I’m intrigued by your post, but don’t quite follow it. In what way is 2 + 2 = 4 a metaphor?
A metaphor is an implicit comparison. “A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes a subject by asserting that it is, on some point of comparison, the same as another otherwise unrelated object.” Lakoff and Johnson point out that we use metaphors based in the human body to describe intangible and abstract things like time. (When we say “I’m not going to spend that much time on this” we are implicitly comparing time to money, something we spend or invest.)
When we say 2 + 2 = 4, are we making any kind of implicit comparison to anything else.? Math allows us to function on a plane of pure abstraction. We are saying that under any set of circumstances, any two entities that are joined by any other two entities will constitute four entities. These abstract numbers don’t exist, of course: in the real world we will always be talking about two SOMETHINGS, be it dollars or people or city blocks or planets. But does that mean these abstract numbers are metaphors?
Per example, when we say 1+1 equals 2. When in reality, people 1+1 could equal 1 in the case of lovers being seen as one entity. Even, people say 1+1 equals 3, for from a man and a woman’s union can result a child. This is what I intended to say. It might sound “corny” or funny.