Jun 28, 2023 18:09
1 yr ago
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English term

Homo sapiens, who not only know but know we know

English Social Sciences Anthropology homo sapiens
Dear colleagues, I was wondering about the meaning of the sentence “Homo sapiens, the ones who not only know but know we know”. Maybe I’m mistaken, but it seems to me that this definition refers to Homo sapiens sapiens, not to Homo sapiens? Or might it have another meaning in this context?
Thank you so much for your help!

*************

The genus of Homo, sometimes broadly called “humans,” seems to have evolved on Earth somewhere around 5 million years ago, and some studies place the appearance of our species – what we’ve come to name *** Homo sapiens, the ones who not only know but know we know ***, sometimes called the “wise ones” – in Africa sometime between 350,000 and 130,000 years ago. We and our Neanderthal cousins used tools and lived in groups.

Discussion

haribert (asker) Jul 4, 2023:
Dear colleagues, a sincere thank you to all of you for your valuable contribution! I'll select Yvonne's answer, although I have made a little different suggestion to editor and publisher: Since the phrase “homo sapiens, who not only know but know we know” is actually the translation of “homo sapiens sapiens”, I’ve included the definition “Homo sapiens sapiens” in parenthesis after the phrase "who not only know but know THEY know"... I’ll let you know whether my proposal has been accepted. I've decided not to make a more "invasive" intervention, because I've learned from Bjorn's contribution (thank you so much, Bjorn!) that there is a debate going on about the distinction between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens...
Thank you again for your valuable help!
Yvonne Gallagher Jun 30, 2023:
Haribert surprised so few understand Latin, I studied it for a couple of years because I thought I'd need it to matriculate university but then that requirement was dropped for those not doing medicine or medical related courses. Most boys studied Latin back then. Anyway, English is full of Latin phrases
haribert (asker) Jun 30, 2023:
Yvonne, "pidgin English" is too funny! I'll translate it into correct Italian! (colui che non solo sa, ma sa anche di sapere)... but you may be surprised to know how many Italians don't understand Latin!!
Yvonne Gallagher Jun 30, 2023:
@Haribert I know what the Latin means, as do most other people I'd say and don't see why you are bothering to translate "homo sapiens" at all in an Italian text? Are you actually planning to translate "the ones who not only know but know we know " which looks like pidgin English rather than a good translation of the Latin "Homo sapins sapiens"? Just put down the Latin and then perhaps mention "the subspecies modern human known as Homo sapiens sapiens"
"the ones who not only know but know we know " is actually wrong as "the ones" does not equate to "we"! It would have to be: "Homo sapiens sapiens are modern humans, the wise ones who are aware/know they are wise" (or something similar)
haribert (asker) Jun 30, 2023:
Yvonne, maybe you can post your suggestion... I really would like to give points, since it has been such an interesting discussion...and I also have learned a lot!!
haribert (asker) Jun 30, 2023:
Hi, Yvonne, thank you for your suggestion! Actually "homo sapiens sapiens" would be the (more or less) Latin for "the ones who not only know but know we know ", so I think that if I write it in parenthesis after the Italian translation of this sentence, it wouldn't be an "overinterpretation" or too strong intervention on the text... I do think it would seem stranger to an Italian reader to see only "homo sapiens" followed by "the one who not only knows ecc...".
I think in this case I'll make this suggestion to the publisher...
Yvonne Gallagher Jun 30, 2023:
@Asker Agree with Bjōrn that it could be an editorial fault AND with Ice Scream as far as translating what is there in front of you ("why don't you just translate what it says?")
Be careful introducing material from a previous book or books. HOWEVER, in this case:
"Homo sapiens" has several subspecies including us, the modern and only extant version of human, AKA "homo sapiens sapiens". Can you not keep the Latin rather than translate?
See here: https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/homo-sapiens-sapien...
haribert (asker) Jun 30, 2023:
IceScream, I see your point but in this text I've found a few mistakes (of which I'm sure...), so it might be an "error" in this case, too....
Chris Says Bye Jun 30, 2023:
But the guy has very deliberately avoided writing sapiens sapiens 🤷‍♂️ I wouldn’t dream of writing anything else if I were translating it.

Bjōrn, my posts are vetted due to me being such a naughty boy.
Björn Vrooman Jun 29, 2023:
@haribert
Since I can't be sure what exactly went wrong here, I'm not going to post an answer. If some of what's been posted in this thread is useful to you, that's good enough for me.

@Ice Scream
Don’t want to hijack this thread for something unrelated, but I just saw today that you had replied to my forum post. I don’t think I was even notified about this! I think it’s because the whole thread was hidden (oddly, except for your post, that is).

Short answer: When I click on More > Leaders, I can see *three* leaderboards, not just one. The first two are for a period of 3 and 12 months.

Those are the two people should be focused on because getting a spot on the all-time leaderboard is pretty much impossible now.

To both of you, enjoy your evening!
haribert (asker) Jun 29, 2023:
I almost forgot: why doesn't some of you post an answer? I would be really sorry if I couldn't give points...
haribert (asker) Jun 29, 2023:
Dear IceScream, I see your point, but the sentence "the ones who not only know but know we know" hints directly at "homo sapiens sapiens".... as I also have seen in many books, by the same author and by other authors... So, if I translate literally, I fear it may be seen as a "mistake" by the translator....
haribert (asker) Jun 29, 2023:
Björn, thank you so much for your valuable contribution!
Chris Says Bye Jun 29, 2023:
Not getting the problem It seems likely to be a sapiens sapiens thing, but why don't you just translate what it says? I can't see that being a problem in any language.
Björn Vrooman Jun 29, 2023:
PS As for your question at the end, I can't tell you what to do, ofc, since it always depends on how much leeway you have. If I had to choose, I'd go with the second option.
Björn Vrooman Jun 29, 2023:
When I said, "corroborated by other people," I was referring specifically to the answer given by P. Lucas:
"They are the same thing. In the 1930s, neanderthals were named 'Homo sapiens neanderthalensis' and were thought to be a subspecies of Homo sapiens. Thus, we were named 'Homo sapiens sapiens' as a different subspecies."

However, there's still some debate about this; as even Wiki notes:
"It has since become more common to designate Neanderthals as a separate species, H. neanderthalensis, so that AMH in the European context refers to H. sapiens, but the question is by no means resolved."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_human

Considering you said that the author used to call and still is calling them "sapiens sapiens," the only other (viable) explanation I can think of is that it was a simple oversight or that an editor removed something (Word, btw, also wouldn't like all those duplicates). I mean there must have been an editor involved somewhere.

Best of luck!

haribert (asker) Jun 29, 2023:
Thank you so much, Bjorn, for your contribution! yet, I've been reading the reference you've posted, but one of the contributors says "It is both. You belong to the species Homo sapiens and the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens.". So, there still may be a differentiation? By the way, my author has used "homo sapiens sapiens" in several of his books, some of them quite recent and of different publishers...
For instance, in The Developing Mind, by Guilford, the third edition of 2020: "We humans are a storytelling species—one that “knows we know” (Homo sapiens sapiens)."
It's also true, however, that Siegel is not an anthropologist...
Maybe I might add something like: "Homo sapiens, OR HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS, the ones who not only know but know we know" ?
Thank you for your patience!


or maybe better: "Homo sapiens, the ones who not only know but know we know (HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS)"
Björn Vrooman Jun 29, 2023:
@haribert It's the editor's fault, probably.

The reference posted doesn't really explain what's going on here; this one might:
"Homo sapiens is the modern name of the human species in biological systematics. Homo sapiens sapiens was the name in biological systematics until the 90s when we thought Neanderthals would have been some form of sub species of the human species and called them Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens. We learned that we were mistaken..."
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-Human-b...

Corroborated by other people answering the same question (and elsewhere on the web).

So the word play (if you want to call it that) is now "shot," because the scientific terms have changed. No more "double knowing."

It would have been better if the author had removed this part of the sentence already.

Best wishes
haribert (asker) Jun 29, 2023:
Hi, Daryo, "homo sapiens" refers to human beings the author does a sort of "rough overview of our belonging in the evolutionary journey from prelife days to living as mammals in the air-borne world of this planet"

https://books.google.it/books?id=boBxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT61&dq=Thi...

HTH
Daryo Jun 29, 2023:
makes little sense especially if you take into account that it's unclear who exactly is supposed to be the "we".

The author? The author speaking on behalf of his / her profession? The author speaking on behalf of all Homo sapiens???

There must be some clues in the preceding text.
haribert (asker) Jun 28, 2023:
Dear Lisa, thank you for your contribution! My doubt derives from the fact the same author in one of his previous books said:

"Our species name is Homo sapiens sapiens. Sapiens means “knowing.” So with the double knowing we are the ones who not only know, but know we know." ...
that's why I was wondering whether there may be something missing in this new text...
Lisa Rosengard Jun 28, 2023:
The reference explains that homo sapiens are the original human race, known as 'the wise humans'. It explains that homo sapiens sapiens are a modern progression of homo sapiens with the ability to eat and digest meat and build the beginnings of a modern day heating and cooking system.

Responses

1 day 21 hrs
Selected

homo sapiens, the "wise ones"

See discussion. On taking another look I realise that this is even more of a mess than first thought

Note that your sentence has errors:
"Homo sapiens, the ones who not only know but know we know, sometimes called the “wise ones” – in Africa sometime between 350,000 and 130,000 years ago.
This is NOT talking about "homo sapiens sapiens" as such (which only started to originate about 160,000 years ago), but rather the earlier human types, including "our Neanderthal cousins (who used tools and lived in groups)"

So better to translate as ... "homo sapiens, sometimes called the “wise ones” – in Africa sometime between 350,000 and 130,000 years ago.

You could add to clarify
We, the early modern humans, "Homo sapiens sapiens" (wise ones aware they are wise) and our Neanderthal cousins used tools and lived in groups (at that time).


definition
"Homo sapiens sapiens": a subspecies of Homo sapiens where modern human beings belong and are the only extant species of the Homo genus, originated around 160,000 years ago so were living for some time with homo sapiens.

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Note added at 1 day 21 hrs (2023-06-30 15:44:21 GMT)
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in other words, the 2 types, homo sapiens and homo sapiens sapiens are intermingling after 160,000 years ago. So for the period in question, from 350, 00 to 160, 000 it is really just homo sapiens. Hence you can't use "who not only know but know THEY know"

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Note added at 1 day 21 hrs (2023-06-30 15:51:25 GMT)
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typo: 350, 00 to 160, 000
should be 350,000 to 160,000

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Note added at 1 day 21 hrs (2023-06-30 15:52:05 GMT)
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the distinction has to be made based on the time period

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Note added at 7 days (2023-07-06 00:54:51 GMT) Post-grading
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Hi Haribert, glad to have helped. It is quite convoluted.
I agree that the distinction is often not made these days but in this case, where the author is using the extra phrase, the extra "sapiens" is probably necessary too i.e. Homo sapiens sapiens: "the ones who not only know but know they know" (I still contend that "we" is wrong on a gramatical level) OR the rephrasing I suggested in the Dbox "the wise ones who are aware/know they are wise" since "wise ones" are already mentioned in the text.
Anyway, good luck!
Note from asker:
Dear Yvonne, initially I made the same suggestion as you do to our editor. But, if you see the discussion, there seems to be a debate about the distinction between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens... Anyway I think your remarks are right.. Thank you for suggesting an answer!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Daryo : all correct, but that's not the point made in the ST.
2 days 6 hrs
you obviously haven't read my answer or taken note of the time period or understood the errors
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Dear Yvonne, thank you for your contribution! Actually, if you see the Discussion, there seems to be a debate about the difference between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens (it seems that some authors don’t make this distinction any longer...). But I agree with you that some distinction, at least at a linguistic level, should be made, also because “Homo sapiens sapiens” is still a well-known “phrase”. So I made the following suggestion to editor and publisher: including the definition “Homo sapiens sapiens” in parenthesis after the phrase "who not only know but know THEY know".. "
4 days

we homo sapiens, who not only have knowledge, but are also aware of that fact

or

we (collectively as the species) homo sapiens, we not only have knowledge (/the capacity to learn), but we are also aware of that fact (we know that we are capable of knowing).

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Note added at 4 days (2023-07-02 22:26:18 GMT)
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Forget about it, and come back later - and suddenly it makes sense.

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Note added at 4 days (2023-07-02 22:31:12 GMT)
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... what we’ve come to name Homo sapiens, the ones who not only know but know we know,
=
... what we’ve come to name Homo sapiens, as we (collectively as the species) homo sapiens, we not only have knowledge (/the capacity to learn), but we are also aware of that fact (we know that we are capable of knowing).
Note from asker:
Daryo, thank you for your contribution. The problem is that there seems to be a debate about the difference between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens.... the phrase “homo sapiens, who not only know but know we know” and your accurate rephrasing “we homo sapiens, who not only have knowledge, but are also aware of that fact” is actually the translation of “homo sapiens sapiens”...so I feel I have to include this definition, too and I pointed it out to the editor. I So I have written it in parenthesis after the Italian translation of this sentence, and I’ll see whether my suggestion will be accepted....
Peer comment(s):

neutral Yvonne Gallagher : From 350,000 to 160, 000 it is just "homo sapiens". Hence you can't use "who not only know but know THEY know" (or your clumsy version of that)
13 hrs
all correct, but as far as I can see the point of this question is in "who not only know but know we know" - self awareness
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

6 mins
Reference:

Homo sapiens sapiens is the sub-species that stems from Homo sapiens. Have a look here. I think you have understood it correctly.
https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/homo-sapiens-sapien...
Note from asker:
Thank you so much, Zoi, for your contribution!
Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree Rodrigo Gonçalves
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
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