Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Wonder of the Buffalo

This is probably the most awe-inspiring thing that I have ever learned bout the English language. Apart from the 72 uses of the word 'fuck', that is. The sentence:

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

is a grammatically correct sentence, due to the fact that buffalo can be used as a noun, adjective and a verb. Incredible, isn't it. Now let's break it down.

Buffalo is a city in New York, as well as the term for the bison-like animal, and is also a verb that means 'to intimidate'. Buffalo, when used as the city, is colored red, when used as the animal is colored brown, and when used as the verb is colored blue.

Hence,
'Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo' basically means, some bison from Buffalo, that other bison from Buffalo are intimidating, is also intimidating the other bison from Buffalo at the same time.

Now you might be saying to yourself, "Now wait a minute! Shouldn't the animals be 'buffaloes' in order for the sentence to be grammatically correct?" If that is the case, you should be replying to yourself, " 'Buffalo' is also the plural form, and is equivalent to 'buffaloes'." I know. buffaloes (Or is it buffalo) should just go ahead shoot themselves for creating such a huge mess.

Pretty mind blowing stuff. I am now completely convinced that English is worth committing suicide over.

No comments: