Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site wlcrjs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes From: lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.women Subject: Re: the word "love" in English... Message-ID: <547@wlcrjs.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 18:10:53 EST Article-I.D.: wlcrjs.547 Posted: Thu Feb 7 18:10:53 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 05:01:21 EST References: <116@rtech.ARPA> <286@psivax.UUCP> Reply-To: lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) Distribution: net Organization: chi-net, Public Access UN*X, Chicago IL Lines: 38 Xref: watmath net.nlang:2548 net.women:4407 Summary: >> ...In the Hungarian language there are two words for "love": >>one for familial or platonic love, and one for sexual love >> (i.e. the feeling that lovers have toward one another). > ...Ancient Greek also has more than one word for 'love' >It has three, one for familial(brotherly) love, one for 'platonic' love >and one for sexual love. >> I think that this lack of distinction in English has probably screwed up >>more people that the he/she problem. >> ...Would having two words for love create just as many problems? >>Am I overestimating the effect of language on behavior? Bear in mind that English defines "love" in all these ways, as well as "an extreme fondness for" -- "I just love pickled beets" -- and approval/liking of -- "I love your new dress." It also defines it as the loved one -- "Goodnight, love." And for that matter, "nothing," as in tennis -- "Six-love." Native speakers of English rarely confuse the meanings, with the possible exception of platonic vs. sexual, and then, usually, only when applied to non-family members. (If you say "I love you" to your mother, she doesn't take it sexually.) But this overlap works in some cases -- many people have sexual relationships in which they love the other platonically as well -- one can be a friend as well as a lover. We do have a word that conveys pure sexual affection -- "lust." "Love" implies a relationship. If people are so afraid to express affection that they won't use "love," they just have to be more verbose -- "I like you a lot," "I'm very fond of you," "I love you like a brother." -- Leah A Zeldes ...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes