Re: Buffalo sentence

From: Damien Broderick (damienb@unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Mon Jun 02 2003 - 00:15:51 MDT

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>> "Yaky" sentences have nothing on a buffalo sentence I first encountered
>> in a book by a well known poster to this list.

[coff]

<`Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo'.
A bison from Buffalo is a Buffalo buffalo, which might `buffalo' or
browbeat its kin. So `(Those) Buffalo buffalo (which other) Buffalo buffalo
buffalo (will in turn) buffalo (still other) Buffalo buffalo'. This
diabolical sentence is cited by Steven Pinker as an instance of the reach
and limitations of our language `organ', the DNA-specified mental
`instinct' that powers our speech and writing >

THE LAST MORTAL GENERATION

Damien Broderick
[I only play Steven Pinker in a big-hair wig]

Next message: Spudboy100@aol.com: "Re: Deep River/Deep Sleep [was Boy Genius or Craft Idiot?]"
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In reply to: Michael M. Butler: "Re: Buffalo sentence (sidebar to Yakyakian Sentence)"
Next in thread: Lee Daniel Crocker: "Re: Buffalo sentence (sidebar to Yakyakian Sentence)"
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