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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007Several
In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several According to Dictionary 1: several = more than two but fewer than many; Dictionary 2: several = more than two but not very many; Dictionary 3: several = more than a few; Dictionary 4: several = more than one (usually more than three); Dictionary 5: several = more than one / more than two but fewer than many. Now, what definition(s) would your favour? CW > In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Now, what definition(s) would your favour? "several" means "more than one". In common parlance, however, it is taken to mean "more than a few". Adrian >> In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > to > mean "more than a few". It is? Not by me. I take it to mean a few. > >> In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several > >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > > It is? Not by me. I take it to mean a few. Odd. It's an old topic, and one that's difficult to analyse, but let's try this... Let's say there are 10 people. I'd say that 3, 4 or 5 was a few of them, that 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 was several of them, and that 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 was many of them. Let's say there are 100 people. I'd say that between 3 and 15 was a few of them, that between 8 and 20 was several of them, and that between 30 and 80 was many of them. So, yeah, "several" isn't very different in meaning from "a few", especially when discussing large groups. The smaller the group, however, the more I feel there is a qualitative and a quantitative difference between the two. Adrian > In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Now, what definition(s) would your favour? Which of the several dictionaries do you, yourself, favour?  SignatureJohn Dean Oxford Claude Weil ha escrito: > In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > CW Back when I was 6 or 7 years old, I decided that: few is about 3 several is about 4 some is about 5 many is lots and lots most is more than half nearly all is all but a few to all but some. Whatever, they're all more than 2. Couple is exactly 2. Half-dozen is exactly six. Dozen is exactly 12, baker's dozen is exactly 13, score is exactly 20. If you're not sure of the exact number, put about in front. Cece > Claude Weil ha escrito: > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > most is more than half > nearly all is all but a few to all but some. I with you up to this point. > Whatever, they're all more than 2. Couple is exactly 2. > > Half-dozen is exactly six. Dozen is exactly 12, baker's dozen is > exactly 13, score is exactly 20. If you're not sure of the exact > number, put about in front. I would use and I hear used frequently: a couple meaning 2 or 3 half a dozen meaning 5-8 a dozen meaning "about 12". It depends on the context. In a shop, for instance, it would be quite different, at least with regard to the dozen, half dozen, but even there, if I asked for a couple of rashers of bacon, I would not be surprised to receive 3 or 4. SignatureRob Bannister [...] >> Couple is exactly 2. >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > there, if I asked for a couple of rashers of bacon, I would not be > surprised to receive 3 or 4. Those approximate senses are usual in BrE, too, though in specific circumstances "couple" can mean exactly two and "dozen" exactly twelve. I suppose that a dozen or half-a-dozen eggs usually means exactly twelve or six because those are the units in which they're commercially packed and sold. Standing at the deli counter, I might ask for a couple of rashers of bacon - the assistant would probably cut two on her slicer, and then wait for me to say, "Yes, that's fine" or "Another, please", since bacon rashers are not all the same size or thickness. Whatever, I'd have bought "a couple of rashers". (I think we're supposed to ask for bacon by weight, but few of us in the UK have much idea what 100 grams of bacon would look like.) Alan Jones Alan Jones filted: >(I think we're supposed to ask for bacon by weight, but few >of us in the UK have much idea what 100 grams of bacon would look like.) The "Angelica Carnis" thread has some links....r Signature"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely. atj@blueyonder.co.uk had it: > Those approximate senses are usual in BrE, too, though in specific > circumstances "couple" can mean exactly two and "dozen" exactly twelve. I [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > of rashers". (I think we're supposed to ask for bacon by weight, but few > of us in the UK have much idea what 100 grams of bacon would look like.) It looks close enough to a quarter of a pound to make no never mind. SignatureDavid ===== > atj@blueyonder.co.uk had it: >> of rashers". (I think we're supposed to ask for bacon by weight, >> but few of us in the UK have much idea what 100 grams of bacon >> would look like.) > > It looks close enough to a quarter of a pound to make no never mind. No doubt that statement helped someone, but it's been so many years since I stopped using pounds, shillings, and inches that it now says nothing to me. I can remember that a kilogram is roughly half a pound, or vice versa, but I keep mixing up the vice and the verse. SignaturePeter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org Please note the changed e-mail and web addresses. The domain eepjm.newcastle.edu.au no longer exists, and I can no longer receive mail at my newcastle.edu.au addresses. The optusnet address could disappear at any time. peter@ozebelgDieSpammers.org had it: > > atj@blueyonder.co.uk had it: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > nothing to me. I can remember that a kilogram is roughly half a pound, > or vice versa, but I keep mixing up the vice and the verse. Two and a quarter pounds of jam Weigh about a kilogram. For linguists, there's the German Pound which is 500g - this gives a clue. SignatureDavid ===== >For linguists, there's the German Pound which is 500g - this gives a >clue. The German name for it is "Pfund". There is also the 500-g French pound, which is called "livre", the feminine word also used for referring to the pound sterling (the first letter of that word, originally from the Latin "libra", is represented by the symbol £. By the way "libra" is also the source of the abbreviation "lb"). However, the masculine French word "livre" means "book". Interestingly, both the French and the English words refer to trees, the bark of which was used as a writing surface : respectively, Latin "liber" [bark] and ancient words such as "bõk" meaning "beech".) CW > In my view, 1 = 1, 2 = 2, and 3 or more = several > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Now, what definition(s) would your favour? For me, "several" is 3 to about 6 or 8. Unlike Adrian's meaning, mine doesn't change depending on the number of the superset (if any). Someone: I don't suppose birding is very popular in Espa?ola (my town, population about 10,000). Me: What do you mean? There are /several/ of us. (I can think of three, though it might depend on your definition of both "Espa?ola" [as my population figure does] and "birding".) SignatureJerry Friedman I always think that 'several' is a fairly small quantity of which the speaker wishes to boost the significance, whereas 'a few' is a similar quantity where the speaker wishes to do the opposite. "Several people were killed in the storms in Britain" "A few people win the Nobel Prize every year" |
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