"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo".
I have taken the time to explain this: it actually makes sense, and is indeed grammatically correct.
Read it at my blog: http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/pirate_republic/buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-buffalo-a-noobs-guide/30-25486/
"Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo..." explained.
*I know this is old... if you understand is already, then go away. Skeptics, however, read on.*
Many of you think that the sentence "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is not a grammatically correct sentence. It is. The goal of this blog post is for you to understand it, as it actually does make sense.
Here's the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo
I'll start off with explaining "fish fish fish fish fish". It's the same idea as the buffalo sentence, but more simple.
Now, I'll add in optional words to make it more legible: "fish, that fish fish, fish for fish." You don't actually need those extra words for it to be grammatically correct.
That's the noun "fish", and the verb "fish" (the act of fishing for fish) mixed together, in this fashion: "noun, (that) noun verb, verb (for) noun". In other words, fish (identifier) that fish go fishing for, are currently fishing. Get it? Read this again until you understand it, as I'm moving on.
Now that you understand that, let's move on to the buffalo sentence. It works the same way, combining these:
The noun: buffalo (animal)
The noun: Buffalo (city)
The verb: to bully (not commonly heard)
I'll start off by adding in extra words: Buffalo buffalo, that Buffalo buffalo buffalo, buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Next, I'll switch out words for other meanings: bison from Buffalo, that bison from Buffalo bully, bully bison from Buffalo. In other words, the bison that bison bully, also bully bison. Get it?
The sentence uses "Buffalo" the city as an adjective. If we were talking about Joe from Canada, I could technically say Canada Joe, using Canada as an adjective for describing where Joe lives. Same thing the buffalo: Buffalo (city) buffalo (animal) means bison from buffalo.
For the order or nouns/verbs, it goes: noun (city) noun (animal), that noun( city) noun (animal) verb, verb noun (city) noun (animal)
Here it is again: {bison from buffalo} that {bison from buffalo} bully, also happen to bully {bison from buffalo}
{Buffalo buffalo}, that {Buffalo buffalo} bully, bully {Buffalo buffalo}
Buffalo buffalo, that Buffalo buffalo buffalo, buffalo Buffalo buffalo
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo (you don't need the extra words)
I hope this made sense, and I hope you actually took the time to try to understand this. If you didn't, read this again slowly, or post your questions. It's not practical at all, it's merely a tool used to show how complex English really is.
Good day to you all.
"I de-railed an entire math class for 30 whole minutes with this exact conundrum.Same story with me... except it was social. Ah well, time enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.It was awesome."
"My mind has just expanded into a different dimension."The same thing happened to me when I discovered there was an arrow in the FedEx logo... should probably post a guide on that too.
"Fr0Br0 said:I got to check this out..."My mind has just expanded into a different dimension."The same thing happened to me when I discovered there was an arrow in the FedEx logo... should probably post a guide on that too."
EDIT: Holy shit! What has been seen can not be unseen.
"pirate_republic said:lol"Fr0Br0 said:I got to check this out...EDIT: Holy shit! What has been seen can not be unseen.""My mind has just expanded into a different dimension."The same thing happened to me when I discovered there was an arrow in the FedEx logo... should probably post a guide on that too."
"What a troll! With a hidden message to drive people to your blog! Nice one! :)"Muhaha, it's part of my evil plan.
"My head 'sploded... good work. :p"That's my job.
Seriously though guys this took me an hour to work out on my own... that was one boring ass social class.
"dude your avatar is awesome. the sentence still doesnt make sense, it may be grammatically correct, but simply saying that sentence with no context doesn't make any sense. "It sort of makes sense, in that it's understandable, but otherwise you're right... it's just used as a tool by university professors to explain how the English language can be used to create complex constructs.
"So its essentially an infinite loop sentence?"It ends at 8 times... after that it loses it's correctness.
In a simillar fashion you can also have the sentence;
"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher"
If you add the correct punctuation it makes sense.
"In a simillar fashion you can also have the sentence;I'm afraid your going to have to explain that one to me. My head is asploded you see, from trying to figure out the buffalo thing.
"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher"If you add the correct punctuation it makes sense."
James, while John had had "had" had had "had had", "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher.
So essentially James wrote "had". John wrote "had had". And the teacher preffered "had had".
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