[Buddha-l] the true authority on meanings

[Piya Tan]

On 10/22/07, Michael Essex <mgessex at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,' it
> means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.'
> 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many
> different things.'
>
> 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's
> all.'
>
> (from a long term lurker on this list.)
> Mike Essex


Interesting! I mentioned the Humpty Dumpty Rule in my paper on Sa~n~na:
http://dharmafarer.googlepages.com/04Khandha3Sannapiya.doc [Section 2.3]
and found that scholars have noted the following three dimensions or usages
of words:

(1) lexicographical (ie dictionary meanings)
(2) stipulative (private or "intentional" meaning (such as found in the
Dhammapada); and
(3) contextual (such as stories, imageries, etc in the Suttas).

Piya Tan