I was cycling in Holland when I encountered the numbered 'knooppunten' (nodes) that let you plan your own route. OK, no problem, consult a map, remember a sequence of numbers, follow the arrows. Not mentioned: the numbers aren't unique; following the path to node '60' might take you in the right direction, or take you way out of your way. Why does this matter? It underlines what should be a basic point about language and systems of signs generally: the meaning is not inherent in the sign. Words and signs acquire meaning only in the broader context of use, and this context is not always obvious, and can vary by a lot between two people. There's no one fixed 'meaning' of a word. This is the fundamental flaw (in my view) of ontology and semantically based systems of representation.
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