Tuesday, July 6, 2010

What's in a name?

A Venn diagram is supposed to clarify situations. It uses graphics to help explain what would be difficult to write. However, it can become quickly complicated and then text is used supplement and to hopefully clarify. Take for example, the difference between homonym and homophone. For two different words, the first has the same spelling (i.e., name) but have a different pronunciation and the later has same sound (barring accented speech) but have different spellings.

When a word, or a series of words, are nearly homophonic they are referred to as be oronymic. Computer and Email spell checker are notorious for looking correct but are full of mistakes. Take for example the following poem:
- -
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rarely ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it's weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
I have a spell checker
it came with my PC
it plainly marks for my review
mistakes I cannot see.

I strike a key and type a word
and wait for it to say
whether I'm wrong or right
it shows me straight away.


As soon as a mistake is made
it knows before too long
and I can put the error right
It's rarely ever wrong.

I have ruined this poem though it
I'm sure you're pleased to know
it's letter perfect in its way.
My checker told me so.

Just goes to show that you win some, but lose a lot more.

Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica

Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica