But what if someone objected, : “It is_n[o|']t true that someone you must ˇalready have mastered a language game already in order to understand an ostensive definition, butch only he's has only – obviously – ˇof course, you've got to know (or guess) what the person explaining ˇman who gives the explanation is pointing to[.|:] ˇe.g., [W|w]hether, for instance, to the

shape
form

the
an

object, or to its co[,|l]our, or to the number ˇof ˇthe objects, [t|e]tc., etc..” – And what does “pointing to the

shape
form

”, “pointing to the colour” etc. consist in, then? Point to a piece of paper. – And now point to its

shape
form

, – now to its colour, – now to its number (that sounds queer). – Well, how did you do it? – You will say you “meant” something different each time you pointed. And if I ask you how that takes place this is done ˇyou do this, you will say you directed concentrated your attention on the colour, on the

shape
form

etc.. But

now
then

I ask again how th[at|is]

is done.
takes place.

Suppose someone points to a vase and says, “Look at th[at|is]

gorgeous
glorious

marvelous blue! – the shape doesn't matter.” – Or, “Look at th[e|is]

wonderful
magnificent

shape! – the colour'' is unimportant.” – Undoubtedly y[p|o]u will do ˇsomething different things in each case if you

do what he asks you
comply with both these requests

. But do you always do the same ˇthing when you direct your attention to the colour? Imagine various cases –

e.g. these: –
I will suggest some:

“Is this blue the same as that? Do you see a

see a difference?” –
You are mixing

paints on a palette
colours

and you say, “This blue of the sky is hard to

◇◇◇ get
find

.”
                     “It[s|']s going to be fine, you can see the blue sky already again.”
                     “Look what different effects these two blues give.”
                     “Do you see th[e|at] blue book over there? Please

fetch
bring

it.”
“This blue signal light means …”
“What'[i|s]s this blue called? – is it “indigo”–?”
Directing the attention to the colour sometimes means shutting out the outlines of

a
the

shape with

your
one's

hand, or, not ˇlooking direct[in|ly]g one's gaze at the contour of the thing; sometimes ˇit means starring at the thing and trying to remember where one has seen this colour before. You direct your attention to the ˇshape of a thing, sometimes by

drawing
sketching

it, sometimes by

half closing the eyes
squinting

ˇscrewing up the eyes so as not to see the colour clearly, etc., etc.. I

wish
want

to sayˇ that: this and things like it is the sort of thing that happens while one you [“|‘]directs the one's your attention to

something’
this and that”

. But th[at|is] is not the only thing that allows it isn't just this which makes us to say, ˇ that someone is directing his attention to the shape, to the colour, etc.. Juts as “making a move in chess” does_n[o|']t ˇonly consist in the fact that pushing a piece is from pushed accross the board in such and such a way here to there –

nor
but also not

in the thoughts and feelings that accompany the move in the person making it – but rather in the circumstances that we call “

playing
taking part in

game of chess
chess game

”, or “solving a chess problem”, and

the like
so forth

(2015–) Wittgenstein Source Bergen Nachlass Edition (WS-BNE). Edited by the Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Bergen under the direction of Alois Pichler. In: Wittgenstein Source, curated by Alois Pichler (2009–) and Joseph Wang-Kathrein (2020–). (N) Bergen: WAB.