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From: rockwell@socrates.umd.edu (Raul Deluth Miller-Rockwell)
Subject: Re: Function evaluation in J
In-Reply-To: HAC041@DJUKFA11.BITNET's message of 30 Apr 92 09:25:02 GMT
Message-ID: <ROCKWELL.92Apr30100251@socrates.umd.edu>
Sender: rockwell@socrates.umd.edu (Raul Deluth Miller-Rockwell)
Organization: Traveller
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Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1992 15:02:51 GMT

Konrad Hinsen:
   In fact I do understand the notation (mv mv mv), but I have a
   somewhat different idea of the meaning of the word "is".

Well, my dictionary (an old copy of the American New Century
Dictionary) defines 'is' as:
 Third person singular, present indicative, of be.

Looking at 'be', I find: "... copula.  A link connecting a subject
 with predicative or qualifying words in assertive, interrogative, and
 imperative phrases.."

Generally, if I say 'Fred is French', I don't think it's reasonable to
assume that Fred is a representitive of the government of France.  Or
if I say, 'Fred is a frenchman, born in Spain', I wouldn't assume that
Fred was born in France.

In the definition of '&' we have two pieces of information, and there
is an interpretation where these two pieces of information do not
conflict.  And, it happens that that interpretation is correct.

-- 
Raul Deluth Miller-Rockwell                   <rockwell@socrates.umd.edu>


