Buffalo buffalo buffalo: One-word sentences and how they work - Emma Bryce
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-one-word-sentences-and-how-they-work-emma-bryce 'Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo' is...
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You may think you know the words that sit plainly in black on your page, but don't be fooled. Some words are capable of taking on different guises, masquerading as nouns, verbs and adjectives that alter their meanings entirely. This seeming superpower is called lexical ambiguity. It can turn words and sentences into mazes that mess with our minds. For example, consider the following: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. That may sound like nonsense, but it's actually a grammatically correct sentence. How? Well, Buffalo is proper noun, a noun, and a verb. It refers to an animal also known as a bison, an American city, and it can also mean to bully. These different interpretations create a sequence of words that is gramm...
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You may think you know the words that sit plainly in black on your page, but don't be fooled. Some words are capable of taking on different guises, masquerading as nouns, verbs and adjectives that alter their meanings entirely. This seeming superpower is called lexical ambiguity. It can turn words and sentences into mazes that mess with our minds. For example, consider the following: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. That may sound like nonsense, but it's actually a grammatically correct sentence. How? Well, Buffalo is proper noun, a noun, and a verb. It refers to an animal also known as a bison, an American city, and it can also mean to bully. These different interpretations create a sequence of words that is gramm...
