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Chapter 172. [Born With A 'Language Cheat']

"Why do you know that!? You secretly looked it up because you were so frustrated!"

"No, no, I really didn't know! I just thought it might be because it's plain doggy, that's all."

I easily answered the question posed by Angu Ogu.

My knack for languages may be a bit of a cheat, but it didn't end there for her.

The American audience was collectively making comments and poking fun at her in the comments.

>Hey, they also call it a 'doggy bag' (U.S.)

>I haven't heard that in like 10 years (U.S.)

>Oh, Ogu, that's already outdated (U.S.)

"Huh? What are you talking about? I use it regularly."

"Ogu?"

>I simply call it a box (U.S.)

>Or maybe a to-go box" (U.S.)

?Ogi, are you quite old, maybe?"

"No, no!? It's different! My mom used to say it normally!"

"So, Ogu, were you proudly using outdated words at the restaurant? You might have done something really embarrassing, you know."

"I didn't say that!"

Ango Ogu covered her ears and wriggled. 

Well, there may be significant regional and generational differences.

The other day, the server who attended to us was an older lady, so it probably went smoothly. 

But if it had been a younger server, they might have been puzzled.

"Ugh, I was embarrassed because of Iroha."

"It's your fault, you know."

"No, it's not! Even though Iroha is usually knowledgeable, it's bad that she didn't know such a simple word!"

"...Ah, I see."

Upon Angu Ogu's words, I realized something.

If "doggy bag" wasn't an outdated term, there's no way I wouldn't know that word. 

I mean, it's unlikely that I've ever seen the same situation in movies, TV, or on the internet. 

And if I had come across it even once, it would fall within the scope of my "ability".

Forgetting or not remembering the culture of taking food home is possible, but there's no way I could forget the word "doggy bag" specifically.

>It was a fleeting dream, Ogu (U.S).

>But even Iroha-chan doesn't know some words, huh?

>I felt like she knew everything www

"Haha. Even I, no matter how much I know, there are words I've never heard before. While with languages I'm familiar with, I can make some educated guesses."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, that's right. For example, there's something called the 'Gavagai problem".

Saying that, I provided an example.

A kind of thought experiment.

"Let's say a native speaker of a language you don't understand points at a rabbit and says, 'gavagai.' What do you think 'gavagai' means in that case?"

"......? Obviously, it means a rabbit, doesn't it?"

"The correct answer is 'we don't know'."

With just this information, it's impossible to determine the word's meaning.

It doesn't automatically mean that 'gavagai' equals 'rabbit'.

"Why not! You can figure it out just by looking at it!"

"It's not that simple. Think about it. If I pointed at a rabbit and said 'animal,' is that wrong?"

"W-Well, not exactly."

"Or it might be 'this,' or 'cute,' or 'I want to eat it,' or 'white,' or 'it hops well.'"

Once you start listing characteristics, there's no end to it.

Even a single object has a multitude of elements when you try to put it into language.

"Besides, it might not even be about a rabbit but rather the air or the act of pointing itself."

"If you start saying that, then anything goes."

"That's right, anything is possible! The possibilities are almost endless. That's why it's impossible to determine. That's the answer."

>Hearing it like this, you really appreciate the importance of language

>So, even if aliens were to appear, it seems like communication would be quite challenging

>At the very least, having a basic common language and common understanding is necessary

"That should be the case, but you know..."

"Huh? Is there something else?"

"Actually, there are exceptions. Specifically... well, how do babies figure out the meanings of words?"

"Seriously!? That's impressive, aren't babies amazing!?"

Perhaps they unconsciously find commonalities through trial and error. 

I think we are all born with a 'language cheat'.

It's such a remarkable ability that you might wonder if it's built into humanity.

That's why, on the other hand, there are stories like this. 

If a mother explains her frequently traveling father to a child using photos as "this is Daddy"... 

Then the child might start calling all pictures "Daddy".

"Well, in any case, it means that there are many words that even I wouldn't understand after hearing them just once."

"I see."

>I see, even Iroha-chan doesn't know some things

>I might follow lil baby's example and start studying foreign languages

>Someday, I'd like to try doing a segment where I search for words Iroha-chan doesn't know

"Alright, let's put the digressions aside and talk about when I came to America?"

"That's right, I almost forgot!"

"Alright then, let's start with... yeah, before the move. Let's begin with when I was called to the 'consulate'."