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Discussion Groups / British English / June 2007Research vs researches
You will often hear that the word "research" is uncountable in the U.S., but it seems that I find the word "researches" as a countable noun too. Is this an American vs British English difference? Or does it vary according to academic discipline? Or does this show some other trend? Help? Thoughts? Thanks. eric@compellingconversations.com schrieb: > You will often hear that the word "research" is uncountable in the > U.S., but it seems that I find the word "researches" as a countable [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Help? Thoughts? In my opinion it depends on the meaning. If we are talking about collecting information etc. in general then I would say it is uncountable. In particular contexts where we are talking about particular acts of collecting information then I would say it is countable. I don't think this is a US/GB thing and the entry at the Merriam Webster Online dictionary (US English) would seem to bear me out - see <http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research>. On May 31, 1:26 pm, Einde O'Callaghan <einde.ocallag...@planet- interkom.de> wrote: > e...@compellingconversations.com schrieb:> You will often hear that the word "research" is uncountable in the > > U.S., but it seems that I find the word "researches" as a countable [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Merriam Webster Online dictionary (US English) would seem to bear me out > - see <http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research>. Thanks. I've seen different answers in different dictionaries. In uk.culture.language.english on 30 May 2007 23:19:13 -0700, }You will often hear that the word "research" is uncountable in the }U.S., but it seems that I find the word "researches" as a countable }noun too. Is this an American vs British English difference? Or does }it vary according to academic discipline? Or does this show some other }trend? Not sure about the degradation and mutilation of English by illiterate Americans. I used to be (1970-80) a research scientist for the MOD, and researches was not a word we used, ever. Neither was "attrite" a verb and "collateral damage didn't exist we said "we kill the poor bastards, unintentionally". Because our "high tech systems" are not nearly as good as the Brits and Yanks, particularly, would have you believe. {R} > In uk.culture.language.english on 30 May 2007 23:19:13 -0700, > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Neither was "attrite" a verb and "collateral damage" didn't exist we > said "we kill the poor bastards, unintentionally". You probably, however, came across the verb "to task", and the noun (or possibly adjective) "hittile" (spellcheckers were in their infancy, and I was always tempted to substitute "Hittite"...) The MOD is institutionally incapable of correctly spelling "supersede".  SignatureJohn Briggs >You probably, however, came across the verb "to task", and the noun (or >possibly adjective) "hittile" (spellcheckers were in their infancy, and I >was always tempted to substitute "Hittite"...) The MOD is institutionally >incapable of correctly spelling "supersede". I was about to mention "hittile" myself - a horrid coinage. SignatureJohn Hall "I am not young enough to know everything." Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) >> You probably, however, came across the verb "to task", and the noun >> (or possibly adjective) "hittile" (spellcheckers were in their >> infancy, and I was always tempted to substitute "Hittite"...) The >> MOD is institutionally incapable of correctly spelling "supersede". > > I was about to mention "hittile" myself - a horrid coinage. " Barbarous" (a cognate of "horrid"?) was the word you were looking for :-) SignatureJohn Briggs In uk.culture.language.english on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:01:14 GMT, "John Briggs" <john.briggs4@ntlworld.com> wrote: }{R} wrote: }> Not sure about the degradation and mutilation of English by illiterate }> Americans. I used to be (1970-80) a research scientist for the MOD, }> and researches was not a word we used, ever. }> }> Neither was "attrite" a verb and "collateral damage" didn't exist we }> said "we kill the poor bastards, unintentionally". } } }You probably, however, came across the verb "to task", Yes, I suppose that was marginally acceptable. } and the noun (or possibly adjective) "hittile" At which we all laughed and completely ignored. >(spellcheckers were in their infancy, and I }was always tempted to substitute "Hittite"...) The MOD is institutionally }incapable of correctly spelling "supersede". Oh yes, confused me for years that did. The MOD took my PhD thesis away by classifying the data Secret :( So I eventually just quit. {R} |
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