> Yes, the translation is "But what is this named?" Or, What is this > called? > The words do NOT say "What does this mean?" This was W's point, that the > name > is one thing (identity) and the meaning is another. >
I am no translation expert and would need to look over the context to be certain, but the translation of "Aber was heisst das?" as "But what does that mean?" is fine. One could nevertheless omit the offending word 'mean' entirely, and legitimately translate Wittgensteins remark as 'But what is THAT?" Although Ms Sullivan is correct that the German, "Wie heisst du?" means "What is your name?", the utterance, Was heisst das? is usually taken to mean 'what does that mean?' (with indexical force, as if to point at something in front of you). The difference between the 'was' and the 'wie' (plus the accusative/nominative pronoun difference) indicates the salient differences. One can also use the formulation 'Das Heisst' (abbreviated as d.h.) to mean 'that is to say' (i.e., or viz.). There is an ambiguity, then, in the German 'heissen,' which does not come across in English very well. One fnds the same semantic range in the French, "Qu'est ce que (c'est)" In fact, a translation option for heissen would be 'signifier' (accents omitted because the list serve does not support them). In any case translation is contextual and we cannot proceed atomically, word by word. On Sun, Aug 1, 2010 at 12:33 PM, William Conger <[email protected]>wrote: > Yes, the translation is "But what is this named?" Or, What is this > called? > The words do NOT say "What does this mean?" This was W's point, that the > name > is one thing (identity) and the meaning is another. > wc > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Sent: Sat, July 31, 2010 7:09:47 PM > Subject: Re: Validity of Cheerskep's Argument > > In a message dated 7/31/10 6:00:59 PM, [email protected] writes: > > > > " By the way, you take Wittgenstein to task for writing, "But what does > > this mean?"--in particular, his use of "mean." But that's the English > > translation. What does it say in the original German?" > > > > It says, "Aber was heisst das?" > > > > It means what is this called,how shall I name this? People ask Was heisst > Sie, meaning wht is your name. > Kate Sullivan
