The Meaning Of Tolerance


Tolerance, the ability to 'live with' or 'put up with' something has wide-ranging applications in engineering, and is strongly parallel to the notion of error bars¹ in science.

I use the terms 'tolerance' and 'addition of tolerances' in my series A Science Of Human Language  to describe minor variations in speech and writing which have no significant effect on the transmission of meaning, but which explain the drifts of word pronunciation and meaning which occur across generations of language users.

A Science Of Human Language - Part #8

A Science Of Human Language - Part #7

A Science Of Human Language - Part #6 : Quistic Grammar


Part #1 of this series outlines the need for an inclusive theory of language based in science.  Part #2 

The Evocative Power Of Language

Most philosophical studies of how language functions have focused on semantics - how language conveys meaning.  In ordinary speech, language is not confined to the transmission of information.  It can be used to evoke strong emotions.

A Science Of Human Language - Part #5


This article is a continuation and expansion of the theory of mental models, introduced in part #4.