From: adam@address.invalid   
      
   Jim Beard wrote:   
   > On 05/27/2012 02:25 PM, Adam wrote:   
   >>> The Chinese example that comes to mind is a character that may be   
   >>> read xing or hang.   
   >>   
   >> By the same person? With two different meanings? Would it be   
   >> fairly clear which one it was from the context?   
   >   
   > Yes. Yes. Yes.   
      
   That doesn't sound like much of a problem, then.  No more than when two   
   different words have ended up with the same spelling in English, like   
   "close" or "entrance".   
      
   >>> The same character in Japanese may be pronounced in Sino-Japanese   
   >>> fashion as kou, gyou, or an, or in native Japanese fashion as iku,   
   >>> yuku, okonau, yaru, or kudari plus an assortment of variants on   
   >>> these.   
   >>   
   >> And different meanings for each of those?   
   >   
   > There is some duplication of meaning, but some meanings that clearly are   
   > unrelated except for being written with the same character. Many of   
   > these variants have different implications or are suitable only for   
   > different context or environment.   
   >   
   > One fluent in such matters can convey a great deal of information about   
   > oneself, one's assessment of one's interlocutor, and the relative status   
   > of both as well as (often) a rationale justifying that status.   
      
   Wow, /that/ sounds complicated... and risky!  (I understand exactly what   
   you're saying, but knowing which of several similar words to use sounds   
   complicated.)   
      
   > Luckily,   
   > foreigners are not expected to have such fluency so we get away with all   
   > sorts of things that would not be tolerated if uttered by a Japanese.   
      
   Ah, good!  Otherwise it sounds like it would be nearly impossible for a   
   foreigner to be able to use the language and get polite responses. :-)   
      
   I suppose something remotely comparable would be an American saying, "I   
   done went and got me a new truck."  One could assume a great many things   
   about the speaker beyond a vehicle acquisition.   
      
   >> Here, I assume anyone with my surname (within the   
   >> 1500 most common in the U.S.) is a stranger unless I already know   
   >> they're a relative (or unrelated friend). OTOH over half of my   
   >> relatives have different surnames, such as all of Mom's   
   >> relatives. Would something like that be true in Asian cultures?   
   >   
   > That depends on the country, and maybe the area within the country. Bear   
   > in mind that Asia covers a lot of ground, physically as well as   
   > linguistically and culturally.   
      
   There are whole countries there that cover a lot of ground!  What I was   
   wondering, though, is whether the mother's maiden name counts for family   
   association.  For example, could our hypothetical Mr. Wang's parents   
   have been Mr. Wang and the former Miss Shin?  If so, would he have any   
   association with the Shin family elsewhere?  (My own mother's maiden   
   name is rare enough so that anybody else with it is probably related   
   somehow.)   
      
   BTW did you end up getting a UPS for your computer system?   
      
   Adam   
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