Showing posts with label Semantics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Semantics. Show all posts

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Eudaemonism


First known use 1827.A theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well being.
A system of ethics that evaluates actions in terms of their capacity to produce happiness.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All righ

The Journal of jurisprudence, Volume 16

 By Scotland. Courtsts reserved.



Thursday, August 26, 2010

Ww: Want

v. want·edwant·ingwants
v.tr.
1.
a. To desire greatly; wish for: They want to leave. She wants a glass of water. See Synonyms atdesire.
b. To desire (someone to do something): I want you to clean your room.
2.
a. To request the presence or assistance of: You are wanted by your office.
b. To seek with intent to capture: The fugitive is wanted by the police.
3. To have an inclination toward; like: Say what you want, but be tactful.
4. Informal To be obliged (to do something): You want to be careful on the ice.
5. To be without; lack. See Synonyms at lack.
6. To be in need of; require: "'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" (Lewis Carroll).
v.intr.
1. To have need: wants for nothing.
2. To be destitute or needy.
3. To be disposed; wish: Call me daily if you want.
n.
1. The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary: stayed home for want of anything better to do.
2. Pressing need; destitution: lives in want.
3. Something desired: a person of few wants and needs.
4. A defect of character; a fault.
Phrasal Verbs:
want in Slang
1. To desire greatly to enter: The dog wants in.
2. To wish to join a project, business, or other undertaking.
want out Slang
1. To desire greatly to leave: The cat wants out.
2. To wish to leave a project, a business, or other undertaking.

[Middle English wantento be lacking, from Old Norse vanta; see eu- in Indo-European roots.]

Context: My pastor was using the second definition of want when we were discussing the word.   My mind was stuck on the first want which is a desire to do something out of a wish for, or a desire.   Often the words we use can have multiple meanings and our presupposition has captured only one of the two meanings. A mad hatter argues semantics without looking up a word in the dictionary. However, sometimes it is a fine thing to be crazy, for than you are free to say what you want to say, when you want to say it.