Smarandache Tautologies
david...@my-deja.com
I got a paper, here in Delhi, edited by M.L.Perez, called "Smarandache
Linguistic Tautologies", in 'Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences',
Vol. 18E (No. 1), pp. 83-87, 1999. I scanned it for you below.
Don't take them for puzzles, but for deeper senses. Many examples are
funny, comic - smarandachian style!
DAVID R. SINGH
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Smarandache Linguistic Tautologies
editor M.L.Perez
Abstract.
Classes of linguistic tautologies are introduced with examples
and explanations.
The general cases exposed below are modeled on the English
language structure in a rigid way. In order to find nice
particular examples of such tautologies one grammatically adjusts
the sentences.
A tautology is a redundacy, a pleonasm, a needless repetition of
an idea, according to the "Webster's New World Dictionary",
Third College Edition, 1988.
However, the following classes of tautologies - using repetition -
go to a deeper meaning, and even changes the sense. A double
assertation reverses to a negation.
One also may play with the synonyms.
Let <N>, <V>, <A> be some noun, verb, and attribute
respectively.
Also let <N'>, <N''>, etc. represent synonyms of <N> (or just <N>),
and so <V'>, <V''>, etc.
or <A'>, <A''>, etc.
Let <NV> represent a noun-ed verb, and <NV'> a synonym, etc.
Then, one defines the following classes of linguistic tautologies
and semi-tautologies:
1. Mirror semi-paradox:
<N> of the <N'>.
<N> of the <N'> of the <N''>...
Examples:
Best of the best.
Worst of the worst of the worst.
Mother of the mother of the mother... [the maternal grandmother]
Follower of the followers.
The rows of the rows [lots of rows.].
2. This is not an <N>, this is an <N'>.
Examples:
This is not a teacher, this is a professor.
This is not a car, this is a Wolswagen.
This is not a truck, this is a Chevy.
This is not noise, this is music.
This is not music, this is noise.
This is not a cedar tree, this is a <gad> [gad = Navajo name
for cedar tree].
This is not me, this is I.
This is not a sword, this is a saber.
This is not a problem, this is an exercise [= easier].
Practice makes you practice.
This is not a girl, this is Katie.
This is not a horse, this is a pony.
3. <N> is not enough <N'>.
<A> is not enough <A'>.
Examples:
Sufficient is not enough sufficient [which means: to do more than
"sufficient"].
Punishment is not enough punishment.
Health is not enough wealth.
Clean is not enough clean.
Studying is not enough studying [which means to do more than just
getting by, i.e. to do research].
Extravagant is not enough extravagant.
Time is not enough time.
The more you have, the more you want.
Attention is not enough attention [some people need action too].
4. More <A> than <A'>.
Examples:
Better than better [=perfection].
Worst than worst [=evil].
Sweeter than sweeter [=honey].
More life than life [=spirituality].
More depressed than depressed.
Foster than foster.
More beautiful than pretty.
More ugly than ugly [really ugly].
Smarter than smart [like a genius].
5. How <A> is an <A'> <N>?
Examples:
How democratic is a so called democratic society?
How republican is a so called republic society?
How civilized is a so called civilized person?
How free is a free country?
How commanding is a so called commanding officer?
How Pop Culture is a so called Pop Culture?
How strong is a strong man?
How lone is a lone ranger? [not very, he has tanto].
6. No <A> is really <A'>.
Examples:
No friend is really a friend [s/he betrays you when you don't
even expect!].
No luck is really a luck.
No original is really original.
No husband is really a husband [you learn to depend on
yourself!].
No tomboy is really a tomboy [girl considered boyish].
No work is really less work.
No true Marxist is really a true Marxist [they contradict their
own beliefs].
No magic is really magic [all is only a trick].
7. I would rather prefer <A>, than <A'>.
Examples:
I would rather prefer pretty, than prettier.
I want that, not that.
I would rather prefer this, than this.
I would rather be old, than old.
I would rather prefer great than big.
I would rather be crazy than crazy [crazy like foolish, than
crazy like insane].
8. More <A> than <A'>.
Examples:
Prettier than pretty.
More real than real.
More advantage than advantage.
More help than help.
More smiles than smiles [she didn't psychically smile, but there
were smiles written all over her face].
More cries than cries.
More meters than kilometers.
Make everyday a rainbow day.
He earns more than himself.
More suspicious than suspected.
9. <V> those who <V'> you.
Examples:
Ignore those who ignore you.
Criticize those who criticize you.
Defend those who defend you.
10. <V>, because <V'>.
Examples:
I want because I want.
I think because I think.
I hear because I listen.
I see because I look.
I need because I need.
I know because I know.
I live because I live.
I believe what is unbelievable [faith].
I am happy because I am happy [there is no reason for my
happiness].
11. <V> the <NV'>.
Examples:
I hate the haters (therefore I hate myself!).
I envy the enviers (therefore I envy myself).
I am strange to strangers.
I cheat the cheaters (therefore I cheat myself).
I lie to liars (therefore I lie to myself).
I kick the kickers (therefore I kick myself).
I love the lovers.
The list of such invented linguistic tautologies can be
indefinitely extended. It is specific to each language, and it
is based on language expressions and types of sentence and phrase
constructions and structures.
One can also play with synonymic adverbs, prepositions,
etc. to construct other categories of linguistic tautologies.
References:
[1] Ashbacher, Charles, "'The Most Paradoxist Mathematician
of the World', by Charles T. Le", review in <Journal of
Recreational Mathematics>, USA, Vol. 28(2), 130, 1996-7.
[2] Begay, Anthony, "The Smarandache Semantic Paradox",
<Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal>, Harvey Mudd College,
Claremont, CA, USA, Issue #17, 48, May 1998.
[3] Le, Charles T., "The Smarandache Class of Paradoxes",
<Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bražov>, Vol. 1 (36),
New Series, Series B, 7-8, 1994.
[4] Le, Charles T., "The Smarandache Class of Paradoxes",
<Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences>, Delhi, India, Vol. 14 E
(No. 2), 109-110, 1995.
[5] Le, Charles T., "The Most Paradoxist Mathematician of
the World: Florentin Smarandache", <Bulletin of Pure and Applied
Sciences>, Delhi, India, Vol. 15E (Mathematics & Statistics), No.
1, 81-100, January-June 1996.
[6] Le, Charles T., "The Smarandache Class of Paradoxes",
<Journal of Indian Academy of Mathematics>, Indore, Vol. 18, No.
1, 53-55, 1996.
[7] Le, Charles T., "The Smarandache Class of Paradoxes /
(mathematical poem)", <Henry C. Bunner / An Anthology in
Memoriam>, Bristol Banner Books, Bristol, IN, USA, 94, 1996.
[8] Mitroiescu, I., "The Smarandache Class of Paradoxes
Applied in Computer Sciences", <Abstracts of Papers Presented to
the American Mathematical Society>, New Jersey, USA, Vol. 16, No.
3, 651, Issue 101, 1995.
[9] Mudge, Michael R., "A Paradoxist Mathematician: His
Function, Paradoxist Geometry, and Class of Paradoxes",
<Smarandache Notions Journal>, Vail, AZ, USA, Vol. 7, No. 1-2-3,
127-129, 1996.
[10] Popescu, Marian, "A Model of the Smarandache
Paradoxist Geometry", <Abstracts of Papers Presented to the
American Mathematical Society>, New Providence, RI, USA, Vol. 17,
No. 1, Issue 103, 96T-99-15, 265, 1996.
[11] Popescu, Titu, "Estetica Paradoxismului", Editura
Tempus, Bucharest, 26, 27-28, 1995.
[12] Rotaru, Ion, "Din nou despre Florentin Smarandache",
<Vatra>, Tg. Mures, Romania, Nr. 2 (299), 93-94, 1996.
[13] Seagull, Larry, "Clasa de Paradoxuri Semantice
Smarandache" (in translation), <Abracadabra>, Salinas, CA, USA,
Anul 2, Nr. 20, 2, iunie 1994.
[14] Smarandache, Florentin, "Mathematical Fancies &
Paradoxes", <The Eugene Strens Memorial on Intuitive and
Recreational Mathematics and its History>, University of Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, 27 July - 2 August, 1986.
[15] Vasiliu, Florin, "Paradoxism's main roots",
Translated from Romanian by Stefan Benea, Xiquan Publishing
House, Phoenix, USA, 64 p., 1994; reviewed in <Zentralblatt f r
Mathematik>, Berlin, No. 5, 830 - 17, 03001, 1996.
[16] Tilton, Homer B., "Smarandache's Paradoxes", <Math
Power>, Tucson, AZ, USA, Vol. 2, No. 9, 1-2, September 1996.
[17] Weisstein, Eric W, "CRC Concise Encyclopedia of
Mathematics", <Smarandache Paradox>, CRC Press, USA, 1998.
[18] Zitarelli, David E., "Le, Charles T. / The Most
Paradoxist Mathematician of the World", <Historia Mathematica>,
PA, USA, Vol. 22, No. 4, # 22.4.110, 460, November 1995.
[20] Zitarelli, David E., "Mudge, Michael R. / A Paradoxist
Mathematician: His Function, Paradoxist Geometry, and Class of
Paradoxes", <Historia Mathematica>, PA, USA, Vol. 24, No. 1,
# 24.1.119, 114, February 1997.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Peter Percival
These two might be pleonasms (though they might also have legitimate
rhetorical use).
> Mother of the mother of the mother... [the maternal grandmother]
> Follower of the followers.
These are not.
...
--
The from address is fictional
peter dot percival at cwcom dot net
david...@my-deja.com
Peter Percival <not...@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> david...@my-deja.com wrote:
> >
> ...
> > Examples:
> > Best of the best.
> > Worst of the worst of the worst.
>
> rhetorical use).
>
A tautology is a pleonasm anyway.