Concept-Stacking

Un invatat are doua datorii: sa invete el necontenit si sa invete necontenit pe altii. (Nicolae Iorga)

Translation:
A learner has two duties: to learn endlessly and to endlessly teach others.

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Fragments from imaginary dialogues

“What is concept-stacking?”

“The word ‘invatat‘, which I translated as ‘learner’ is actually untranslatable.

In the English language, ‘to teach’ and to ‘to learn’ are two distinct concepts.
In Romanian, we only have one concept that incorporates both. The verb ‘a invata‘ means both ‘to learn’ and ‘to teach’.

There’s a powerful principle here, which can be used to practical ends:

Deliberately fusing concepts together to achieve a desired end.

I call this process concept-stacking.

As a notation for concept-stacking, I use a slash line (/).”

“So ‘x/y/z’ means that the concepts x, y, and z are fused/stacked together.”

“Precisely.

Using the notation, ‘Invatat‘ in the initial quote can be translated as ‘Learner/Teacher‘.”

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