Q&A: Linguistic Analysis
Linguistic Analysis
Question
Hello,
Does the ability to examine every word routinely improve over time?
Examples of what I mean:
“There are several aspects” -> “There are aspects” — the point here was to illustrate that there is an unnecessary word, and it can be saved and removed.
Another example is in the Torah, where sometimes there is a word that appears unnecessary in the eyes of the commentators. As an ordinary person, I wouldn’t have noticed that were it not for the commentator’s question.
Another question is whether it is worthwhile to use this ability in day-to-day life, in ordinary matters (like talking with a vegetable seller, etc.)?
Thank you very much.
Sabbath שלום.
Answer
I don’t know. I assume so. Unnecessary words aren’t exactly an example of that.
It all depends on the context. People usually aren’t careful about precise wording, so using this ability can also lead you to mistakes in understanding what they mean. Even in logic, it is common to speak about completing enthymemes, that is, filling in claims and arguments from everyday language in order to arrive at a precise logical formulation.