Computer, Referee

Both words name a role and never named a substance — &#x27;computer&#x27; was a job people held, and &#x27;referee&#x27; means, literally, the one to whom a matter is referred. Granting that fully has a cost the slogan hides: taken without limit, everything computes and the word distinguishes nothing, which Putnam and Searle proved rather than suggested. What bounds a role word is the practice…