Uncle Jazzbeau’s Gallimaufrey

approaching ∞

There’s a good article by somebody over on Kiro5hin site about infinity. Not just any layperson’s infinity though, but the real thing ™ as in mathematics. It’s a nice example of the kind of semantic dodgery one can expect from natural languages. The great thing about language is you can say (or type) “infinity is a number” or “infinity is a cat” and get away with it, but not so in mathmagicland.

Given that:

• “All grammars leak.” Edward Sapir
• “Philosophical problems begin when language goes on holiday.” Ludwig Wittgenstein
• "a shprakh iz a diyalekt dialekt mit an armey un a flot." Uriel Max Weinreich

QED: “Infinity is a number.” Anonymous

Update: The quotation “A language is a dialect with an army and a navy” is cited by Joshua Shikel Fishman in the Mendele Yiddish Literature and Language list (6.087). [It appeared first in print in Uriel Max Weinreich, 1945, der yivo un di problemen fun undzer tsayt. (“YIVO and the problems of our time”) in yivo-bleter 25.1.13.] There’s more information and a translation here. 2. Also, it’s not Uriel but his father Max who wrote the article. Sorry about that. Another link.

[Addendum 07/20/05: I’ve finally got around to posting a scan of the passage in question.]