Going back into the history of a word, very often into Latin, we come back pretty commonly to … - J. L. Austin

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

Learning how to listen to others and how to listen to your own thoughts is the ultimate process.

J. L. Austin

Going back into the history of a word, very often into Latin, we come back pretty commonly to pictures or models of how things happen or are done. These models may be fairly sophisticated and recent, as is perhaps the case with 'motive' or 'impulse', but one of the commonest and most primitive types of model is one which is apt to baffle us through its very naturalness and simplicity.

Apt, Done, Latin, Simplicity

Same Author Quotes

Faced with the nonsense question 'What is the meaning of a word?' and perhaps dimly recognizing it to be nonsense, we are nevertheless not inclined to give it up.

Give, Giving, Nonsense, Perhaps, Question, Recognizing

I feel ruefully sure, also, that one must be at least one sort of fool to rush in over ground so well trodden by the angels.

Angel, Fool, Ruefully, Rush, Sort, Wells

Ordinary language embodies the metaphysics of the Stone Age.

Age, Ordinary, Stone, Stones

You are more than entitled not to know what the word 'performative' means. It is a new word and an ugly word, and perhaps it doesnot mean anything very much. But at any rate there is one thing in its favor, it is not a profound word.

Doesnot, Entitled, Mean, Profound, Ugly

Are cans constitutionally iffy? Whenever, that is, we say that we can do something, or could do something, or could have done something, is there an if in the offing--suppressed, it may be, but due nevertheless to appear when we set out our sentence in full or when we give an explanation of its meaning?

Cans, Done, Full, Give, Giving, May