On 08.20, Adam Williamson wrote:
> On Wed, 2003-08-20 at 17:56, Dave Cotton wrote:
> > On Wed, 2003-08-20 at 18:26, Austin wrote:
> > 
> > > Exactly why we (English speakers) should start using something like
Software 
> > > Libre and Software Gratis.  Others will follow.  Everyone copies Mandrake

> > > anyway.  :-)
> > > 
> > 
> > What's wrong with Open Source and Freeware?
> > 
> > The Eskimos, so I'm told, have 16 words for snow, because it's important
> > to them.
> 
> Urban myth.
> 
> http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_297

(Disclaimer: from now, everywhere I say 'is', I mean 'IMHO, i think'...)

I found that article stupid. It is mixing two things: calling 'snow' in
different situations by different names, and calling with different words
different things made of snow. In fact, Eskimos have many words just for
snow (plain snow, falling snow, snow on the ground, and sure many more
the writer does not know). It claims that english is also so rich,
and tries to convice us that snow, flake and avalanche are refering to
the same thing...

He should admit that each langage is richer that other in certain fields.
For example, spanish has 'libre' and 'gratis', and english just has 'free'.
Or spanish has 'ser' (have a quality) and 'estar' (be located at),
and english just has 'be' (so does Catalan, it also does not ditinguish
between 'ser' and 'estar'). And I have also found words that have more
rich forms in english than in spanish (can, may vs 'poder').

In this context, I would be happy about the adoption of terms like
'Free Soft' and 'Gratis Soft' (reverse the order to make english
people happy...)

Sorry, couldn't resist. And forgive me for my English. ;)

by

-- 
J.A. Magallon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>      \                 Software is like sex:
werewolf.able.es                         \           It's better when it's free
Mandrake Linux release 9.2 (Cooker) for i586
Linux 2.4.22-rc2-jam1m (gcc 3.3.1 (Mandrake Linux 9.2 3.3.1-1mdk))

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