{"id":68358,"date":"2025-02-19T21:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T02:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68358"},"modified":"2025-02-19T21:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T02:40:07","slug":"the-noninfallibility-yet-utility-of-aio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68358","title":{"rendered":"The noninfallibility yet utility of AIO"},"content":{"rendered":"

Someone complained in an inappropriate and non sequiturish place that AIO (Artificial Intelligence Overview) did not definitively solve the difficult problem of the seeming non-Sinitic etymology of Japanese waka<\/i> \u82e5 (\"young; youth\") that he posed to it.<\/p>\r\n

Cf. Wiktionary<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n

Japanese<\/b><\/p>\r\n

Noun<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

\u82e5(<\/rp>\u308f\u304b<\/a><\/rt>)<\/rp><\/ruby><\/strong> \u2022<\/a> (waka<\/a><\/span><\/span>)\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. \r\n
      \r\n
    1. \"my<\/a> lord<\/a>\" (towards a young master<\/a> or a young heir<\/a>)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

      <\/p>\r\n

      Middle Sinitic<\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      Zhengzhang
      Shangfang<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235iaX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Pan
      Wuyun<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235iaX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Shao
      Rongfen<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235\u0291iaX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Edwin
      Pulleyblank<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235iaX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Li
      Rong<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235iaX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Wang
      Li<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235\u0291\u012daX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Bernhard
      Karlgren<\/a><\/small><\/th>\r\n      		\/\u0235\u0291i\u032faX<\/sup>\/<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Expected
      Mandarin
      Reflex<\/small><\/th>\r\n      		r\u011b<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Expected
      Cantonese
      Reflex<\/small><\/th>\r\n      		je5<\/sup><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

      This is a view adumbrated by Jonathan Smith:<\/p>\r\n

      If J. waka means\/meant 'milord, miyounglord' as online indicates, then this writing is just based on the fact that the same character wrote a word 'you' in Chinese, \"Middle Chinese\" nyak or some such according to the Guangyun.<\/p>\r\n

      I put the question of the (non-)\/Sinitic derivation of Japanese waka<\/i> \u82e5 (\"young; youth\") to AIO several times and it pointed me in the right direction each time.<\/p>\r\n

      As readers of Language Log are well aware, I'm a fan of this Google add-on and have repeatedly expressed my appreciation for its services.\u00a0 However, I do not expect it to be infallible, especially when dealing with questions that are notoriously bewildering.\u00a0 I am grateful for any assistance or inspiration that it may offer, as was the case with the origins of Japanese waka<\/i> \u82e5 (\"young; youth\").<\/p>\r\n

      I think it would be irresponsible and foolish of me to ask Google (i.e., AIO) to explain the phonotactics of biang<\/i>.\u00a0 We realize before we ask that the antecedents of biang<\/i> are not well known, so why trouble AIO with such a question?<\/p>\r\n

      And don't forget that AIO frequently reminds us that it is \"experimental\".<\/p>\r\n

      The burden of proof is on the user.\u00a0 Caveat lector.<\/p>\r\n

       <\/p>\r\n

      Selected readings<\/b><\/p>\r\n