Dish or plate? English vocabulary and prototype theory

We received a great question from a viewer: What’s the difference between a plate and a dish in English? (In some languages there’s just one word.) It’s not a simple answer because the meanings of words often overlap. In this English lesson we explain when we say dish or plate and look at the features of: - plates, dishes, cups, mugs and bowls - different kinds of games We show how the meanings of words can be fuzzy at the edges and it leads us to prototype theory in linguistics. We draw on the work of two different writers: - the philosopher Wittgenstein and his work on words that share a family resemblance - the psychologist Eleanor Rosch and prototype theory If you’re interested in this topic, another great book to read is ’Words in the Mind’ by Jean Aitchison. She explores how we store words in our brain. Make sure you subscribe to this YouTube channel.