• Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        What I meant by “articulate” is most species wouldn’t fathom killing their young as a form of expression of angst. However, in elephants, seals, and walruses, this isn’t an uncommon thing to see in the wild, in fact a large percentage of the ones in zoos have been victims of the elephant/walrus/seal equivalent of unexplained child abuse that were “adopted” by zookeepers.

        • SwingingTheLamp
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          8 months ago

          I’m really confused then, since “articulate” to me means clear, distinct speech, being good with words, or having the power of speech. I don’t know what it means in this context.

          • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            “Articulate” as in a rough synonym of expressive. Art is articulate. Gaming can be articulate. Or at least that’s what I’m going by. I learned full English later in life, which may explain why some people say my word choice isn’t 100% analogous to its closest counterpart.

            • SwingingTheLamp
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              8 months ago

              Ah, I see where you’re coming from with that interpretation, thanks for the clarification! (For what it’s worth, for this English speaker, “articulate” has a very strong connotation of speech.)

              • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                To me it has a connotation of the individual connections clearly established. Hands are articulate mechanisms because they’re highly divided down into small pieces.

            • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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              8 months ago

              Articulate can relate to physical flexibility, jointedness, which isn’t a strong point for seals on land, and may contribute to their tendency to squash their pups. Speaking clearly is also not a strong point.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      Are you asking whether you’re having a hard time? I see the interrogative, and it parses like that.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        Well, I was asking whether they meant another word or whether I was misunderstanding their use of this one. They did indeed choose articulate, and were using it in a way that is foreign to my experience.