Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2017 August 2

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August 2

I'm looking for an adjective:

Let's call it <adjective>, so that the expression "<adjective> infrastructure", should mean: infrastructure of assumptions.

Alternatively, "system of assumptions" could be replaced by "<adjective> system".

for example, instead of saying: "My opinion is based on the following infrastructure of assumptions", one could also say: "My opinion is based on the following <adjective> infrastructure".

What is this adjective? HOTmag (talk) 04:58, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Assumptive or assumptional? Both are in the dictionary, but the first is pretty rare. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing it in the wild. "Assumptional analysis" is a real methodology. Clarityfiend (talk) 05:25, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Thank you for your suggestions, but they are rather rare or a bit ambiguous, although their construction is pretty trivial. I'm looking for a more common adjective, which is supposed to be less trivial (probably). HOTmag (talk) 06:01, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Speculative/conjectural infrastructure? But if I may ask, why use the word 'infrastructure' at all. Wouldn't "My opinion is based on the following assumptions" or "My opinion is based on the following set of assumptions" do just fine? Marrakech (talk) 07:13, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

I need an adjective, that's why I didn't write "on the following assumptions". As to "set of assumptions", it's like what I have already written "system of assumptions". Anyway, a speculative set, or a conjectural set, doesn't mean that the set consists of some speculations, but rather means that the set itself is a matter of speculation (e.g. Set theory discusses some speculative sets). HOTmag (talk) 07:35, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

The original phrasing seems very clunky (and I'm not even sure what "infrastructure of assumptions" means). And I'm not convinced that changing it to "<adjective> infrastructure" would be much of an improvement. What is the context and what are you actually trying to say? You may be better off completely rephrasing it. Iapetus (talk) 08:47, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Yes, so I have already given a less clunky example: system of assumptions. HOTmag (talk) 10:18, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Yes, and I thought that was still quite clunky, and not very clear. What is it you are talking about, and why does it have to be phrased as "<adjective> infrastructure"? There may be a better and clearer way of phrasing it. Iapetus (talk) 08:51, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

If "system of assumptions" is insufficient, then what about "set of assumptions"? E.g. in the sentence (I have already given with "infrastructure" instead of "set"): "My opinion is based on the following set of assumptions". Do you think you can replace "set of assumptions" by "<adjective> set"? By the way, I'm not looking for the trivial "assumptional set". HOTmag (talk) 09:19, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

I've never heard the phrase "assumptional set", and I can't think of any other adjective that would work their either. I think "set of assumptions" is the clearest and most normal of all the phrasings suggested here. Why can't you use that? Why do you need to use an adjective? Iapetus (talk) 11:22, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

I haven't heard "assumptional set" either. When I said that it was "trivial", I was mainly referring to the suffix "al" (in "assumptional set") which is trivial for a noun to become an adjective. Anyway, I need an adjective, because (for some syntactic reason) the context I'm dealing with doesn't let me use the phrase "set of assumptions". HOTmag (talk) 18:15, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Can you tell us what that context is? Then we might be able to understand what you need to say, and so find an adjective that would fit , or an alternative way of phrasing it. Iapetus (talk) 12:52, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

As a thought experiment modifying the other long word in "infrastructure of assumptions", you might say "arrangement of assumptions", e.g. "My opinion is based on the following arrangement of assumptions". Then if you wanted to make it "xxx arrangement" it might be "My opinion is based on the following assumption arrangement", using assumption as a noun adjunct. So you could just have "assumption infrastructure" in the same way, though I can't think of a context it would make sense in.--JohnBlackburne^words_deeds 09:39, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

But I'm looking for an adjective. HOTmag (talk) 10:18, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

-al is a productive morpheme and as such, you can form valid adjectives with it freely, and they will be fully understood by other native speakers. Assumptional works just fine. --Jayron32 14:37, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

See my response to user:Clarityfiend, who has already suggested your suggestion. HOTmag (talk) 08:33, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

"Axiomatic infrastructure"? Loraof (talk) 15:02, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

Hypothetical or theoretical? uhhlive (talk) 19:21, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

A hypothetical / theoretical set, doesn't mean that the set consists of some hypothetical / theoretical assumptions, but rather means that the very existence of the set itself depends on some hypothesis / theory (e.g. Set theory discusses some hypothetical / theoretical sets). HOTmag (talk) 08:35, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

Conjectural? Akld guy (talk) 21:48, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

See my response to user:Marrakech, who has already suggested your suggestion. HOTmag (talk) 08:33, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

postulational is slightly less rare than assumptional. I suspect there is no common unambiguous adjective with the meaning you desire. jnestorius^(talk) 12:15, 3 August 2017 (UTC)

All right. HOTmag (talk) 18:13, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Tamara de Lempicka: her surname as pronounced in France and America

This query about artist Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) is posted on the article's Talk page: surname style and pronunciation. If this could be clarified by listening to audio material, e.g. radio or television interviews accessible from her USA period (1939-1974), how would I go about searching that? -- Deborahjay (talk) 07:37, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

A Google search throws up plenty of videos about her. This is the BBC pronunciation. I suggest you work your way through the many other videos to see if you can find something from the right place and period.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 11:16, 2 August 2017 (UTC)