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CONCLUSION
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knowledge among the four means of knowledge. The Jaina view seems to be more reasonable when it includes comparison under recognition; which takes the form "This is like that", "That is different from that", etc.
Testimony-Import of Words
Testimony is a kind of verbal knowledge. It means knowledge of the meaning of a sentence. Both Nyaya and Jainism agree in assigning to words the status of being an independent source of knowledge though they differ as regards the nature of knowledge derived from words.
Semantics-the science of linguistic meaning is concerned with (i) meaning power of words (ii) the question regarding the thing meant by a word, i. e. referrend.
According to Nyaya meaning of a word is not natural. It is acquired and its meaning is fixed by God. A word gets power to mean an object because of convention. In agreement with Nyaya view, Jainas maintain that a word does really express its object but they do not agree with Nyaya view that creator God fixed the meaning of words. Jaina position on philosophy of language is unique. According to Jaina logicians a word expresses its object by means of its natural capacity and conventional use. The capacity of the word to express its object is natural and not given to it by God. The natural capacity of a word is power inherent in it. It is like the power of burning inherent in fire. Thus, word does not depend upon anything outside it when it expresses its object. Every word has capacity to express all the objects of the world but what particular objects at what particular time and place are to be signified by it depends upon local circumstances, i. e. they admit that usages
