v8 - What is meaning?

1.) Background image is Magritte: "La trahison des images" (Treason of Images). Because, y'know, sense vs reference vs meaning vs thing. etc.

2.) I'm drastically simplifying some major debates here. See Deacon 1994 "The Symbolic Species" for a more detailed discussion.

3.) I had a major crush on Puck when I was a child.

4.) Background definitions from the OED online

5.) My primary referent for "mother" and I in St. Louis's Union Station.

6.) Toby is a bad dog.

7.) "Gary the Unicorn" images (aka Unicorn Man) by unknown artist. If you guys know who the artist is, please let me know. More images can be found here: http://www.fashionindie.com/post/wtf-unicorn-man-will-haunt-your-nightmares-steal-your-heals

Interesting side note, "Gary the Unicorn" is a pastiche of two ideas, Gary The Unicorn, from the Simpsons and Bertrand Russell's invisible pink unicorn. Also, I just really wanted to make those Unicorn Man images into a teachable moment. Go me.

8.) Bertrand Russell's Invisible Teapot:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot

9.) Prototype Theory. For more, start with Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prototype_theory

Then maybe try G. Lakoff's "Women, Fire, & Dangerous Things" (1987).

The "bird target" image is from Jean Aitchison's "Words in the Mind" (2003).

10.) For what it's worth, my view on the connection between sense meaning and prototype isn't universally agreed upon.

11.) EMERGENTLY!
The idea that the meanings of words (especially function words) has arisen (or emerged) over time without any teleological intent. Kind of like how a path can emerge in a park over time, because people keep using it as a path, even though no one intended to specifically create a path.

Wikipedia on Emergence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence

RadioLab did a great episode on Emergence:
http://www.radiolab.org/story/91500-emergence/

12.) I'm pretty sure I just invented the word "nymonym"

11.) Art Credits
"Urban Pigeon" by Celia Witchard: http://www.celiawitchard.co.uk/?page_id=39

The bird in a scarf and boots is part of David Fleck's "Winter Collection 2011": http://www.davidfleck.co.uk/

Birds on a dictionary by frenchprints on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/116890636/the-bird-art-upcycled-dictionary-page

"Baby Ostriches just out of the shell" at Los Angles Ostrich Farm found online.

"At" from DC Comic's "Super Dictionary", explained here:
http://comicsalliance.com/super-dictionary-dc-comics/

Images from "Powers of Ten" by Charles & Ray Eames (1977). More here: http://www.powersof10.com/

The The - This Is The Day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nonGWDxcJNA

Видео v8 - What is meaning? канала DS Bigham