>
> Best quote on this topic I've read lately
>
> The use of the Chomsky formalism is also responsible for the term
> "programming language", because programming languages seemed to
> exhibit a strucure similar to spoken languages. We believe that
> this term is rather unfortunate on the whole, because a programming
> language is not spoken, and therefore is not a language in the true
> sense of the word. Formalism or formal notation would have been
> more appropriate terms.
>
> Niklaus Wirth
>
> In Wirth's opinion, and the opinion of many reputable linguists like
> Steven Pinker, the analogy betweem formal notations :-) and human
> languages is bogus. "Spoken" is the key point to consider.
>
> -- Brian
>
chomsky doesn't like the use of the term programming language either. i
saw him lecture on language monday night and he addressed that in
passing. the key is indeed "spoken".
b3n
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