Definitions HQ

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pictured as a halo the word carries over into every sort of application.

Meaning (n.) 'Bring ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠me a brick' as four words doesn't need the contrasting sentences present in the mind; it is enough that the contrasts exist in the system of language.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠read off from the role a word plays in a foreign tribe's life, not from anything they say about it: 'highest' can be a number they never go past.

Meaning (n.) fixed ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠by the circumstances of use can leave two phrases sharing a criterion and still leave the question without a clearly defined sense.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the chair: told that 'chair' doesn't mean this chair, the man looks round the room for what the word really denotes, or even inside the chair.

Meaning (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠rule seems to make all the transitions without really making them — as if you crossed all the bridges before you were there.

Meaning (n.) Napoleon ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠when you say he was crowned in 1804 does not require that you thought of his winning Austerlitz — yet you can truly say, "Yes, I meant him."

Meaning (n.) need ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not differ, while the words are said, from saying them without meaning them, just as a friendly eye need not differ from the eye in an unfriendly face.

Meaning (n.) feels ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like a feeling when we say 'I shall be delighted to see you', and not when we say 'The train leaves at 3.30'.

Meaning (n.) what ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠you say, in 'I mean what I mean', is a way of saying 'I have no explanation for it'.

Meaning (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠belong to a colour pattern without there being a meaning one could ask after, so that What meaning is senseless in this case.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a thing the word stands for; ask instead what an explanation of meaning looks like, and the hunt for an object called 'the meaning' dissolves.

Meaning (n.) produces ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a mental cramp when asked about head-on: one feels one cannot point to anything in reply, and yet ought to point to something.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not given to a word by a power independent of us, as if science could discover what it really means; a word has the meaning someone has given to it.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠wished to be 'the last interpretation' — the sign that can't be interpreted further; but any model of saying and meaning just has a bottom level, and one more level could always be added.

Meaning (n.) what ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠we say is hardly ever a conscious process running alongside the words — the rare exception is the actor's 'aside' on the stage.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pictured as a process parallel to saying only because 'to say something' and 'to mean something' look grammatically alike.

Meaning (n.) what ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠you say may differ from speaking thoughtlessly not in what happens as you speak, but in what happens before or after.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠characterized by the use we make of a phrase, not a mental accompaniment, so 'I'm sure I mean something by it' justifies nothing.

Meaning (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what a paper crown on the white king lacks, however much it means to its owner: as long as it doesn't alter the use of the piece, it has no meaning.