Matter

Triggered by Chapter 7 "Memory Matters" in Herald of a Restless World: How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People by Emily Herring in reference to Bergson's book Matter and Memory.

What X/Grok3 has to say about „matter“ when asked "What‘s the matter with the different meanings of „matter“?".

The word "matter" is a fascinating example of how English words can have multiple meanings depending on context. Let’s break it down:

1. Physical Substance: In one sense, "matter" refers to anything that has mass and takes up space—like the stuff that makes up the universe. For example, "The table is made of solid matter." This is the scientific or tangible meaning, often tied to physics and chemistry.
2. Subject or Topic: Another common use is to describe something being discussed or dealt with, as in, "What’s the matter we need to address?" Here, it’s about an issue, situation, or concern—abstract rather than physical.
3. Problem or Trouble: When someone asks, "What’s the matter?" they’re usually inquiring about what’s wrong or bothering you. It’s a way to express concern, like, "You seem upset; what’s the matter?"
4. Importance or Significance: In phrases like "It doesn’t matter," it means something isn’t significant or relevant. For example, "It doesn’t matter what you wear" suggests the choice isn’t consequential.

The beauty (and sometimes confusion) of "matter" comes from its versatility. Context is everything—your brain figures out which meaning fits based on the situation. For instance, "The matter of the universe" (physical stuff) is worlds apart from "What’s the matter with you?" (what’s wrong). English loves these multi-use words, and "matter" has been around since Old English, evolving from Latin "materia" (material) and "mater" (source or mother). So, what’s the matter with "matter"? Nothing—it’s just doing its job as a linguistic shape-shifter!

Bing/Copilot summarizes:

Ah, "matter"—such a versatile word! Its meaning changes depending on context, which makes it fascinating. Here's a quick rundown of its primary uses:

1. Physical substance: In science, "matter" refers to anything that has mass and takes up space. It's the stuff the universe is made of—atoms, molecules, and all that jazz.

2. Significance: "Does it matter?" implies importance or relevance. Here, "matter" is about whether something holds meaning or value.

3. Situation or problem: In phrases like "What's the matter?", it refers to a situation, issue, or concern that needs attention.

4. Material or content: In writing or discussion, "matter" can denote subject matter—essentially, the substance or content of a topic.

5. Legal or formal context: "A matter for the court" refers to an issue or case under consideration.

The word embodies a sense of substance, whether physical or abstract, which makes it a linguistic chameleon.

Created with Microsoft Bing/Copilot

Source: LEO Dictionary

Substantive
				matter   - affair			die Angelegenheit  Pl.: die Angelegenheiten
				matter   - subject			die Sache  Pl.: die Sachen
				matter			das Material  Pl.: die Materialien
				matter   - subject			der Gegenstand  Pl.: die Gegenstände
				matter   - subject			das Thema  Pl.: die Themen
				matter			das Anliegen  Pl.: die Anliegen
				matter			die Masse  Pl.: die Massen
				matter			der Körper  Pl.: die Körper   - Menge eines Stoffes
				matter   - affair			der Belang  Pl.   - Sache
				matter   - physical substance			die Materie  Pl.: die Materien
				matter   - physical substance			die Substanz  Pl.: die Substanzen
				matter   - pus			der Eiter  kein Pl.
				matter   - cause			der Grund  Pl.: die Gründe
				matter   - content			der Inhalt  Pl.: die Inhalte
				matter   - content			der Gehalt  Pl.
				matter   - particular substance			der Stoff  Pl.: die Stoffe
				matter [JURA]			die Klagsache  Pl.: die Klagsachen
				matter constant			die Materialkonstante  Pl.: die Materialkonstanten
				the matter with sth.			das Problem mit etw.  Pl.: die Probleme

...

Verben
				to matter  | mattered, mattered |			von Bedeutung sein
				to matter  | mattered, mattered |   - of a wound   selten			eitern  | eiterte, geeitert |

...

Phrasen
				What's the matter?			Was ist los?
				a matter of ...			eine Frage  +Gen.
				no matter			kein Problem
				no matter			das macht nichts
				No matter!			Das hat nichts zu sagen!
				an important matter			eine wichtige Angelegenheit
				an indisputable matter			eine unbestreitbare Angelegenheit
				a matter of time			eine Frage der Zeit
				a matter of course			eine Selbstverständlichkeit
				a matter of money			eine Geldangelegenheit
				a matter of records			eine verbürgte Tatsache
				a matter of conviction			eine Glaubensfrage [fig.]
				a matter of opinion			eine Glaubensfrage [fig.]
				no matter what			was auch immer

...