Gostak
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The gostak is a meaningless noun that is used in the phrase "the gostak distims the doshes", an example of how it is possible to derive meaning from the syntax of a sentence even if the referents of the terms are entirely unknown. This can be seen in the following dialogue:
Q: What is the gostak?
A: The gostak is that which distims the doshes.
Q: What's distimming?
A: Distimming is that which the gostak does to the doshes.
Q: Okay, but what are doshes?
A: The doshes are what the gostak distims.
In this case, it is possible to describe the relationships between the terms in the sentence - that the gostak is that which distims the doshes, that distimming is what the gostak does to the doshes, and so on - even though there is no fact of the matter about what a gostak or doshes actually are.
The phrase was coined in 1903 by Andrew Ingraham[1] but is best known through its quotation in 1923 by C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards in their book The Meaning of Meaning (p.46). Ogden and Richards refer to Ingraham as an "able but little known writer".
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[edit] In science fiction
In Amazing Stories, Dr. Miles Breuer wrote a story, now considered a classic, titled "The Gostak and the Doshes". Other writers have picked up on the reference, notably David Gerrold.
[edit] In interactive fiction
The phrase is the namesake of an interactive fiction game called The Gostak, written by Carl Muckenhoupt. Most of the text of the game is in an entirely unknown language (fundamentally English in syntax and grammar, but with much of the vocabulary and even idiomatic constructions changed) which the player must decipher. For example, the game opens with the following text:
- Glauds! How rorm it would be to pell back to the bewl and distunk them, distunk the whole delcot, let the drokes discren them.
The Gostak won the 2001 XYZZY Awards for Best Use of Medium and Best Individual Puzzle.[2]
[edit] In music
"The Gostak Distims the Doshes" is a three movement sonata for prepared piano composed by Hiawatha in 1984. The three movements are: I. Doshes ; II. Distimming ; III. The Gostak
The piece is in the collection of the Knight Library of the University of Oregon. (Music collection, call number: M183.H53 G5 1984)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Ingraham, Andrew. Swain School Lectures, 1903, pp 121-182. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
- ^ The Gostak
