[Blog Post] Peter Bakker on the VMS

[ReneZ]

Calling it absurd doesn't make it absurd.

It is not logical that someone creating a look-alike of a real text by taking previous words and slightly modifying them, would repeat the same word three or four times, if such a thing would be illogical for real texts.

The auto-copying theory is just compatible. It is not a good explanation.

[Aga Tentakulus]

Word repetition.
It may be because we don't know where the full stop and comma is.

so that's that, that's because....
......so ist das, dass das so ist liegt daran......

[Koen G]

......so ist das, dass das so ist liegt daran......

It's not about commas or periods though. We have checked texts with punctuation removed. 

I have said before though that examples like "dat dat" are common in spoken Dutch. I  bet if you look at spoken versions of other languages, you might find an increase of duplicates as well. The thing is that we avoid this in written language because it is considered ugly.

[Aga Tentakulus]

When I really read the old books, I see the word repetition. Sometimes it's so bad it's really annoying.
Ugly or not, it was reality.

What bothers me about Bakker's statement is that he doesn't attach enough importance to encryption.
Understanding what's written on an old pottery shard is another matter entirely. It's not subject to encryption. It's never just a piece of glass from the same time and culture with just one text.
I'm not comparing coconuts to peas just because they're both round.

[Aga Tentakulus]

   
Sometimes a word repetition is even mandatory.
If to the word "totis" = with, all, whole,
one more possible dialect form "toties" = take so much, add so often, it all makes sense.

[ReneZ]

Dear Aga,

I am afraid that you have just managed to show that Google translate should never, never, (ever!!!) be used to translate from Latin.

[-JKP-]

Aga, Google Translate is designed to make a "best guess" if it does not understand the text.

[Aga Tentakulus]

Dear Rene
I know I wouldn't have written it if I hadn't checked it with Pons, Langenscheid and Caesar first.
Another question:
Do you know a good Latin to German translator for whole sentences?
I only know the Google version. After the update I think it is not so bad.

[ReneZ]

Aga, I would be intrigued to see what Pons and Langenscheid (absolutely respectable sources) would say about 'totis'. 

For me, it is just dative or ablative plural of 'totus' which means 'all' or 'whole'.

If there is another meaning, then I may have underestimated Google translate.

[-JKP-]

totis totis occurs in Metamorphosis. Some transliterations leave out the second one. Some put it in braces. Some include it. It must not be considered "proper" if it is so frequently removed or marked as though it is a mistake.