Table or Desk?

May 12, 2007 12 Replies

What is the difference?



What makes a table a table and a desk a desk?



MC


I'm sorry, this is an architecture newsgroup. You may want to try alt. furniture, alt.woodworking, alt.interior.desecration or alt.existential.questions.why.why.why.

R

PN - proper noun, CN - common noun "Interdisciplinary context: These electrophysiological differences between PNs and CNs are consistent with findings in other disciplines. In linguistics CNs like "table" or "desk" have a meaning which is assumed to be more or less the same within individuals ("vagueness of language"); each CN stands for a stereotypic concept. Any given object can be a more or less typical member of such a concept and may possess features which belong to two or more concepts. By contrast PNs have no conceptual meaning; they are only paired associates. For example, a given object may have some features of both a "table" and a "desk" concept. This, however, is not the case for PNs; it is not possible to be more or less a "Peter". According to Frege3 PNs have meaning only as "reference" but not as "sense" which excludes the existence of any attribute or semantic connotations. Of course, for any given speaker there are exceptional PNs that may assume a kind of meaning ( e.g. The Judas of our group, or The Mother Theresa of our city). The distinction between PNs and CNs is still under debate."

For a less hirsute (long-hair) analysis - a table is for food, and a desk is for papers.

R

Every desk is a table, but not every table is a desk. A table can be almost any size or shape, whereas a desk is meant for reading/writing while seated. "Desk" is a subset of "Table."

I think tables can be very architectural, desk on the other hand...dunno.

I have always been wowed by tables, have never been wowed by desks.

Ot

I still have a Polaroid of a desk the nice man at the store took for me.

What language would you use to describe this furniture?

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An excellent example of how furniture can be used to give a space a welcoming feeling.

R

Russian, of course. In that movie Kubrick studded the gang slang with Russian, which I, as a Slav, can understand.

furniture?

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Very much so... although I'd do something about the lighting... Reminds me of this:

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That one, or one similar, was designed by a woman, no less... One could be forgiven for thinking it was designed by a misogynistic man.

Anyway, for some reason, I feel like a golden cadillac now...

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furniture?

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this:

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There she is:

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Suck 'em dry ($), Meike.

furniture?

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English.

Ever notice how films are "Rated R for language." I suppose that's a comment on the quality of education for the under 17 crowd these days. "Oh, no, kids can't see that film. The won't be able to follow the plot as it is revealed through language." Anyway, suppose now we'll be seeing "Rated X for furniture."

Does it lend a whole new meaning to "let's table that motion"? Or, perhaps, "motion that table"?

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