Ahhh, that's far too philosophical, my friend. The nature and origins of language is a whole other topic
Indeed it is. I find it fascinating that different languages use more words to describe ideas that are more culturally significant, such as the many words in Eskimo language for "snow", or the fact that "hot" in English may mean "caliente" (thermally hot) or "picante" (spicy hot) in Spanish. The shortest words tend to be among the most common concepts.
DUDE! I thought that same thing... but they say the Eskimo thing is somewhat myth -- we have a lot of word to describe frozen water too, if you think about it hail, snow, ice, slush, frost, sleet albeit.. they are kinda different http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow
And most of those words are best understood in areas where the climate throws every variation at you. Try using those words with a Floridian, for example.
Have you ever lived in a colder climate? How well do you understand the difference between sleet and freezing rain?
I can find definitions all day long... but no, I have never felt it or experienced either first-hand. However, I will be living in Chicago soon -- that has to count for something.
Someone from New England will know without looking it up that sleet is frozen ice pellets, falling with liquid rain, freezing rain is liquid rain that freezes as soon as it hits the fround or tree limbs or cars, and slush is a heavy wet sloppy snow. Slush leaves messy puddles on the ground that hide potholes. Sleet leaves a gritty layer on the wet ground, but freezing rain leaves a slick icy surface that can be next to impossible to keep your footing on.
Yeah, yeah... all different, yet all describing frozen water -- that's what I'm saying. The Eskimos don't really have a lot of words describing snow, it's just there are different tribes/languages. Thusly, the statement is saying that there are many words describing snow from these people. It's like saying there are many African words for lion...
