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A comment on Spoken language affects thought as programming languages affect algorithms?.

Re:Spoken language affects thought as programming languages ... by wheels on Monday June 16, 2008 @05:31PM (#219145)
I think one flaw here, that certainly applies to programming languages is the equation of concision and fitness. There are a lot of things that I would tend to factor in -- for me expressiveness would be chief.

As a native English speaker that spends most of his time speaking German, there certainly is an element of precision that permeates both German culture and language. I've wondered at times if the link is more than coincidence.

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Re:Spoken language affects thought as programming languages ... by noonespecial on Monday June 16, 2008 @09:02PM (#219277)
I also have this experience. I am a native English speaker who learned German quite young. I still think certain things in German, especially things that I learned either in German, or during that period of my life.

As noted, "ja, genau" still echoes in my mind for total agreement. There just doesn't seem as good an English equivalent!

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Re:Spoken language affects thought as programming languages ... by schtog on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @12:59AM (#219449)
why doesnt "Yes", exactly!" do?
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Re:Spoken language affects thought as programming languages ... by noonespecial on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @05:07AM (#219590)
It does. The same way "understand" does for grok.
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Re:Spoken language affects thought as programming languages ... by bayareaguy on Monday June 16, 2008 @06:34PM (#219194)
genau
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