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From: brunner@cup.hp.com (Eric Brunner Contra)
Subject: Re: Borrowed Words
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Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 21:32:06 GMT
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bmoore@qualcomm.com (Holoholona) writes:
: 
: > In article <3mun7h$d6e@news.primenet.com>, jpmork@primenet.com (James P
: Mork) writes:
: > > Eric Brunner Contra (brunner@cup.hp.com) wrote:
: > > 
: > > : Which is an urban myth. See the sci.lang FAQ.
: > > 
: > > This is ambiguous. I've heard both the 200 words for snow and the 3000 
: > > species of potatoes from what I consider respected sources.  I doubt I'm 
: > > gonna change my views just because some newsgroup is spreading a rumor.
: > > Do you have a PRINTED source?
: 
: I doubt you are going to change your views unless you *want* to,
: regardless of the facts.
: 
: The urban myth of the Inuit and their snow vocabulary is so pervasive that
: it is indeed quite likely to see it printed in otherwise reputable
: sources.  The problem is, none of your "respected sources" ever checked
: *their* sources.  
: 
: As for "some newsgroup ... spreading a rumor", please understand that
: newgroups under the sci.-  hierarchy are concerned with matters of
: science, which, as you know, is heavily involved with *fact* finding. 
: This includes the science of Linguistics, thus, sci.lang.  You were
: encouraged to see the sci.lang FAQ so that you could be treated to sources
: dealing with scientific facts.  

Unfortunately, sci.archaeology has a population who are methodologically
challenged, but sci.lang is a reasonably professional venue. The printed
source requesting poster who appears to have taken umbrage at the suggestion
that he or she might be engaging in urban-myth replication has been answered
several times, in this news group and in sci.lang in the past two weeks.

: Simply not wanting to doubt your own sources seems to me an insufficient
: motive for deriding other sources sight unseen.

For so many people, this unfortunately _is_ sufficient motive. IMHO, this
is non-nat, however, milage varies.

: Just check it out.
: 
: maluhia,
: holoholona

Thanks for posting!

-- 
Kitakitamatsinopowaw (I'll see you again)

		-- Eric Brunner
