[neilep (OP)]

Dearest Lexiocographerologists,

As a sheepy I of course luff to say words. Words are all I think about. Out of all the type of visual, oral, aural type of various vernacular nomenclature …....‘ words’ are my all time fave. Yep, a big salute to the bloke who invented words.

Look, here’s a bloke saying some words !

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

A Bloke Saying Some Words Yesterday Afternoon

Nice eh ? Being delivered next Tuesday to announce the crack of Dawn !


So, imagine my surprise when I noticed that after repeating a word over and over and over again it seemed to have lost its meaning !!


Why’s that then ?...what is the nature of the loss of meaning to a word that is repeated ?


Ewe see..I just do not know !!  do ewe ?



As a firm believer in empirical study I snuk into my neighbours house at 3am this morning and with hop a smile and bounty of glee he enjoyed the relish whilst he allowed me to chloroform him to a peaceful rest. His wanting to co-operate was accredited by his eager to play as he gleefully struggled in eager anticipation. Whilst sedated, his lack of protest as I secured him to his bed with straps just confirmed his willingness more so.  As he awoke I raised my loud hailer/megaphone and repeated the word ‘sheepy’ for three hours directly towards his ears. However, he rudely did not co-operate as after the experiment he just stared at the wall and foamed at the mouth !...how rude !...so..no luck there !



So, can ewe explain why repeating a word renders it meaningless ?

Hugs and shmishes

mwah mwah mwah

Neil
Sheepy Sheepy Sheepy
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[RD]

Possibly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_adaptation [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register] to a constant stimulus, (repeating the word constantly), in the part of the brain which interprets sound as language.

The official line is similar to my explanation above ...

The explanation for the phenomenon was that verbal repetition repeatedly aroused a specific neural pattern in the cortex which corresponds to the meaning of the word. Rapid repetition causes both the peripheral sensorimotor activity and the central neural activation to fire repeatedly, which is known to cause reactive inhibition, hence a reduction in the intensity of the activity with each repetition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register]

[Don_1]

Listen to any politician (if, if, if you can stand the lies) and you will notice, will notice, they repeat words and short phrases with amazing, amazing regularity.

I find it bloody damned annoying. I think its because they haven't a clue what they are talking about and/or are about to issue forth with the usual pack of lies and/or bullshit and use this repetitive speech method to try to draw our attention away from this fact.

How does it work? Ask a politician, they seem to be experts in the field.

[neilep (OP)]

Possibly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_adaptation [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register] to a constant stimulus, (repeating the word constantly), in the part of the brain which interprets sound as language.

The official line is similar to my explanation above ...

The explanation for the phenomenon was that verbal repetition repeatedly aroused a specific neural pattern in the cortex which corresponds to the meaning of the word. Rapid repetition causes both the peripheral sensorimotor activity and the central neural activation to fire repeatedly, which is known to cause reactive inhibition, hence a reduction in the intensity of the activity with each repetition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register]

Thanks RD...this must be the reason why my wifes' nagging has little influence anymore !

[neilep (OP)]

Listen to any politician (if, if, if you can stand the lies) and you will notice, will notice, they repeat words and short phrases with amazing, amazing regularity.

I find it bloody damned annoying. I think its because they haven't a clue what they are talking about and/or are about to issue forth with the usual pack of lies and/or bullshit and use this repetitive speech method to try to draw our attention away from this fact.

How does it work? Ask a politician, they seem to be experts in the field.

Thanks Don1...Politicians surely do not need to use repetitive linguistics to render what they say null and void !  []

[CZARCAR]

so it can become a mantra

[neilep (OP)]

so it can become a mantra

 [] Thanks CZARCAR...yes a mantra indeed !...

....have ewe never tried it ?...just pick a word....any word...and speak it repeatedly....ewe will soon notice that the word itself loses coherence !