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| | ==Explanation== | | ==Explanation== |
| − | The comic shows four similar {{w|Euler diagram}}s, one for each of the first four years of living with a {{w|pet}}. The diagrams depict sets of words which have varying efficacy in actually identifying the pet, and each one shows how the words used by [[Randall]] to refer to his pet change year by year and becoming less and less specific as time goes on.
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| − | In the first year it is dominated by the actual name of the pet or words closely related. For example, a dog named Lassie might be called either "{{w|Lassie}}", "dog", "collie" or "boy/girl".
| + | The comic shows four similar {{w|Euler diagram}}s, one for each of the first four years of living with a pet. The diagrams depict sets of words which have varying efficacy in actually identifying the pet, and each one shows how the words used by Randall to refer to his pet changes year by year (becoming less and less specific as time goes on). |
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| − | Moving on to the second year, these related words like "dog" and "collie" get more abundant while the actual name is seldom used. Phrases such as "good dog" or "here, boy" are likely common. Giving a dog the name "Dog" is so common that there is a {{tvtropes|ADogNamedDog|trope}} about that.
| + | In the first year it is dominated by the actual name of the pet or words closely related. For example a dog might be called "{{w|Lassie}}", "dog", "collie" or "boy/girl". |
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| − | In the third year, the pet's name is no longer used at all and the owner probably uses simple phrases like "come" or "come here" to call the pet, omitting the name. This is also probably referring to expletives.
| + | Moving on to the second year, these related words like "dog" and "collie" get more abundant while the actual name is seldom used. Phrases such as "good dog" or "here, boy" are likely common. |
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| − | The fourth year entails the use of just any sound, not {{w|Coherence (linguistics)|coherent words}}. This may be referring to something like {{w|baby talk}}, attempted mimicry of the pet's vocalizations, or whatever random sounds the owner has discovered that get a response from the pet.
| + | In the third year, the pet's name is no longer used at all and the owner probably uses simple phrases like "come" or "come here" to call the pet, omitting the name. |
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| − | This development can be attributed to the fact that some animals don't listen to their own name but rather react to the sound of the voice of their owner. It could also refer to the growing bond between owner and the pet, as well as the effect described in [[231: Cat Proximity]]. | + | The fourth year entails the use of just any sound. This may be referring to something like {{w|Baby talk}} or attempted mimicry of the pet's vocalizations. |
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| − | The title text suggests that the inevitable result of this continuing pattern is that by the seventh year, Randall will be communicating with the pet in its own language. This might refer to the tendency of some pet owners to mimic or imitate their pets' vocalizations, as if speaking to them. Alternatively, this could be interpreted as a joke that pets don't have proper {{w|language}} and the owner has degenerated to a lack of language themselves as time goes on.
| + | This development can be attributed to the fact, that some animals don't listen to their own name but rather react to the sound of the voice of their owner. It could also refer to the growing bond between owner and the pet. |
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| − | The title text and the caption makes it a little difficult to be certain if the comic refers to when you talk about your pet to other people ("my ''dog'' is always hungry") or when you call at it, which would be the only time it would make sense to use ''coherent words in the animal's own language'' - "Woof" = come here. | + | The title text suggests that the inevitable result of this continuing pattern is that by the seventh year, Randall will be communicating with the pet in its own language. This might refer to the tendency of some pet owners to mimic or imitate their pets' vocalizations, as if speaking to them. Alternatively, this could be interpreted as a joke that pets don't have proper {{w|language} and the owner has degenerated into lack on language his/herself as time goes on. |
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| | + | The idea of pets having a detrimental effect on human vocabulary was previously visited in [[231: Cat Proximity]], also with a graphical representation of the effect. |
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| | ==Transcript== | | ==Transcript== |
| − | :[Caption above the frame:]
| + | [A box is shown, with title "Words I use to refer to a pet over the years I live with it".] |
| − | :Words I use to refer to a pet over the years I live with it:
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| − | :[Inside the box are four diagrams. Each diagram contains three elliptical sections containing the previous one, each section is drawn identical from diagram to diagram and they are labeled the same way from diagram to diagram. A fourth section (a red ellipse) moves from diagram to diagram and its label changes from diagram to diagram.]
| + | [Inside the box are four diagrams. Each diagram contains three circles containing the previous one, each labeled "The pet's name", "Words related to the pet", and "Coherent words of any kind", from inside going out.] |
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| − | :[The red section of the first diagram mainly overlaps the innermost section, but about a third of it is in the second section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]
| + | [The first diagram contains a red circle, labeled "First Year", overlapping the innermost circle.] |
| − | :The pet's name
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| − | :Words related to the pet
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| − | :Coherent words of any kind
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| − | :First year
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| − | :[The red section of the second diagram mainly overlaps the right part of the second section, but it just touches both the first and the third section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]
| + | [In the second diagram, the red circle, labeled "Second Year", now overlaps the first two circles.] |
| − | :The pet's name
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| − | :Words related to the pet
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| − | :Coherent words of any kind
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| − | :Second year
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| − | :[The red section of the third diagram mainly overlaps the right part of the third section, but about a third of it is inside the second section and a small part is outside of the third section. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]
| + | [In the third diagram, the red circle, labeled "Third Year", has moved away from the first circle, and is now overlapping the second and third circles.] |
| − | :The pet's name
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| − | :Words related to the pet
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| − | :Coherent words of any kind
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| − | :Third year
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| − | :[The red section of the fourth diagram is completely outside the third section and has to be so far to the right, that the other sections has been moved from the center of the frame to the left. The labels are written above the three white sections and then inside the red section. The labels from inside and out and last the label of the red section:]
| + | [In the fourth diagram, the red circle, labeled "Fourth Year Onward", has moved away from all three circles.] |
| − | :The pet's name
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| − | :Words related to the pet
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| − | :Coherent words of any kind
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| − | :Fourth year onward
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| | {{comic discussion}} | | {{comic discussion}} |
| − | [[Category:Comics with color]]
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| | [[Category:Charts]] | | [[Category:Charts]] |
| | [[Category:Language]] | | [[Category:Language]] |
| − | [[Category:Animals]]
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| − | [[Category:Euler diagrams]]
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