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September 27, 2006
Tatonka(c) Tatonka(a) Tatonka(v)
In a classic display from our nation's most cunning linguists, the sentence Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo has been wikied as a "grammatically valid sentence used as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated constructs."
Here's the low-down:
The sentence is unpunctuated and uses three different readings of the word "buffalo." In order of their first use, these are:
* c. The city of Buffalo, New York.
* a. The animal "buffalo", in the plural (equivalent to "buffaloes"), in order to avoid articles.
* v. The verb "buffalo", meaning to confuse, deceive, or intimidate
Marking each "buffalo" with its use as shown above gives:
Buffalo (c) buffalo (a) Buffalo (c) buffalo (a) buffalo (v) buffalo (v) Buffalo (c) buffalo (a).
No word yet on how Buffalo Springfield, buffalo soldiers, that guy up there with the finger horns or beefalo - the Mile High meat of choice - works into this but I'll keep you posted as developments occur.
Posted by Bree at September 27, 2006 11:32 AM