THE FORMULA FOR NAMES OF WORDS

 THE FORMULA FOR NAMES OF WORDS

Naming of words is mostly on the basis of the actions or causes or effects, related to those entities/phenomena (whose naming is done by those words), in our personal/sensory experiences with those entities/phenomena.

Introduction to anything (i.e. to meaning of anything) begins by “sensing” it in some way - in reality or in imagination. 

What does ‘liquid’ mean to us? That “wet”, “loose” thing we feel on our hands or bodies. Thats the sensory meaning of liquid for us. But for meaning that has to be converted into words (for the mind). So we call it ‘liquid’, which is its STATE. The state relates to the sensory experience by way of being the CAUSE of the same (i.e the cause of the wetness).

What does ‘slippery’ mean to us? That “quick-moving” thing upon touch. Slippery comes from ‘slip’, which we do upon stepping on a slippery surface. So here the naming is done on the basis of the EFFECT of the entity upon us in our experience with that entity/phenomenon.

‘Hard’ is called hard on the basis of the breakability of the entity upon exertion of force on it which (relates to) / is an ACTION done ON the entity. Note - here the action is not done by the entity, but ON the entity (by us). 

Why is ‘Long’ called long? It represents the extent of something (the length) of say, a stick. This extent is in a sense a manifested action of the entity (here, a stick) on the world around it, by virtue of its existence. So here we have an ACTION done by the entity on our perceptual world.