>>Well, English makes perfect sense to me, but of course it's the only language I know. <g>
>
>Problem is that it makes too much sense, much more than one'd wish for. If you overheard that there was "some java in china"... which would it be? A piece of Javanese culture in the People's Republic, or some coffee in a porcelain vessel?
>
>You may check my ambiguity page (link in the signature), and I promise to refresh it next week, got a few additions.

Yeah, I've looked at that page before. Interesting, but there is no ambiguity in other languages? There must be. But if your answer is "much less in other languages" then I wonder how over such a long period of time more ambiguity has not crept into those languages as it has in English. Perhaps because English was influenced by so many other languages. Language is a very interesting subject. Wish I had more time for it. Have you ever listened to "My Word" on the BBC? They are all reruns since it went off the air a number of years ago, but it's still a great show.