Introduction
Introduction
Motivations
Linguistic encoding is imperfect, even within a speech community
Example
It shall be unlawful for an employer to limit, segregate, or classify his employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual's age. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (Pub. L. 90-202)
Listen to a fight over the meaning of this sentence in the U.S. Supreme Court (Smith v. City of Jackson, Mississippi, 544 US ___ (2005), time 43-46 minutes).