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Discussion Groups / British English / May 2008bring vs. fetch
hello all, please tell me what's the difference between usage of these two verbs -- "to bring" and "to fetch". thanks. AN > hello all, > please tell me what's the difference between usage of these two verbs > -- "to bring" and "to fetch". thanks. Generally, "to bring" means to come carrying something that was already in your possession. "To fetch" means to go and get something that was not in your possession (and then to possibly bring it, but not always). It would not be tautologous to say to someone "please go and fetch the book and bring it to me". Cheers Tony  SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org >Generally, "to bring" means to come carrying something that was already >in your possession. "To fetch" means to go and get something that was >not in your possession (and then to possibly bring it, but not always). > >It would not be tautologous to say to someone "please go and fetch the >book and bring it to me". thank you, Tony, your clarification is very helpful. because in russian (it's my native) you can not use such lexical construction, the translation of your example to russian (and back to english) will be look like "please go and take the book and bring it to me". one more question -- is it normal (I mean is it prevalent) to use verb "scavenge" in the phrase about detaching one part of the software from another? for example like this: "when Internet Explorer will be scavenged from Windows"? regards, AN > one more question -- is it normal (I mean is it prevalent) to use verb > "scavenge" in the phrase about detaching one part of the software from > another? for example like this: "when Internet Explorer will be > scavenged from Windows"? No, I've never heard "to scavenge" used in that way. It is normally used to describe birds or other animals feeding on carrion (animals already killed by some other predator). By analogy, it is sometimes used for the removing of (parts from) equipment discarded by other parties, in order to re-use them. Cheers Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org >one more question -- is it normal (I mean is it prevalent) to use verb >"scavenge" in the phrase about detaching one part of the software from >another? for example like this: "when Internet Explorer will be >scavenged from Windows"? No, "scavenge" implies searching around for things not needed and removing them. So it is exactly what a garbage collector does. If you want to get rid of Internet Explorer from Windows, then the word would be "remove" (or, if you particularly want to vent your anti-Microsoft views, you could say "excise"). SignatureCharles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------ Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl Email: chl@clerew.man.ac.uk Snail: 5 Clerewood Ave, CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K. PGP: 2C15F1A9 Fingerprint: 73 6D C2 51 93 A0 01 E7 65 E8 64 7E 14 A4 AB A5 >> one more question -- is it normal (I mean is it prevalent) to use >> verb "scavenge" in the phrase about detaching one part of the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > would be "remove" (or, if you particularly want to vent your > anti-Microsoft views, you could say "excise"). "Purge". SignatureJohn Briggs "dorris26" <dorris26@algo-sync.letters.org> wrote... > > please tell me what's the difference between usage of these two > > verbs > -- "to bring" and "to fetch". thanks. "Fetch" can in many contexts be equivalent to "Bring me". "Bring your wife" would be used when the person addressed has been invited to a gathering; the speaker secondarily invites the wife. "Bring me your wife" (= Fetch your wife) would imply that the person addressed is to act purely as a messenger, and his post-fetch presence is probably not required. Matti At 22:30:35 on Tue, 20 May 2008, Matti Lamprhey <matti@official-totally-reversed.com> wrote in <69gubqF325bupU1@mid.individual.net>: >"Fetch" can in many contexts be equivalent to "Bring me". > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >addressed is to act purely as a messenger, and his post-fetch presence >is probably not required. Matti, you have now inflicted upon me this dreadful vision of Graeme Garden inviting me to a party, and insisting: "Bring the head of Alfredo Garcia"! SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) |
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