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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: "Understanding" (Its Etymology)
Summary: Does this capture the idea for you?
Keywords: Comprehension, Mental Models
Message-ID: <45526@linus.UUCP>
Date: 1 Mar 89 01:48:24 GMT
References: <1263@hub.ucsb.edu>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry Kort)
Organization: IdeaSync, Inc., Chronos, VT
Lines: 17

An unsigned posting asks for deeper insight into the etymology of
the English word, "understanding".

If you think of an idea or object as built up from more elementary
pieceparts, then these component parts "stand under" or hold up the
main idea.  (Each of the component piecparts can in turn be decomposed
into still simpler subcomponents, so that we get an upside down "tree"
with atomic elements at the bottom.)  Having all the foundation
material in mind constitutes "understanding".

Personally, I prefer the term "comprehend" to "understand" because
its etymology is clearer.  "Comprehend" means "to capture with".
In my mind, I have a mental model which resembles the structure
and behavior of the real-world object.  I "capture" reality with
my model, just like a phototgraph captures a scene.

--Barry Kort