Thursday, June 23, 2022

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Beginning student vs. beginner student

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 11:38 AM PDT

Which is the correct one?

  1. I am a beginner student
  2. I am a beginning student

Why?

a LAN vs an LAN [duplicate]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 11:17 AM PDT

LAN is the abbreviation for local area network. According to dictionaries, it has two variants of the pronunciation: [læn] and [ˌeleɪˈen]. Does it mean we can write both "a LAN" and "an LAN"? Thanks!

Why is "hammock" spelled the way it is?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 09:35 AM PDT

The word "hammock" comes from Spanish "hamaca". It could have been natural to write "hamac" in English. Why is it written as "hammock" instead of "hamac"?
For example, double consonants indicate that the vowel before it is short. The "mm" in "hammock" also does the same thing. But there are exceptions to this. Words like "habit" still pronounce the "a" with the short "a" sound although it is written with a single "b".

Can "due" meaning "owed" be used without "to" in AmE? e.g. "the recognition which was due her"

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 11:15 AM PDT

Encountered the following in a text I'm proofreading.

...tries to salvage the dignity due the situation

My instinct is to correct this to

...tries to salvage the dignity due to the situation

but the writer is American while I am (mostly) British, and it is possible this may be correct in American English. Googling unfortunately brings up many examples of "due to" meaning "because", which is not what I'm after.

To take another example:

finally got the recognition she was due

Rephrasing...

finally got the recognition due to her / finally got the recognition due her

The second, "due her" sounds weird to me, but is, according to the Cambridge definition above, correct.

EDIT in response to comments saying that "due to" only means "because": https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/due (scroll down to the adjective definition)

owed as a debt or as a right:

The rent is due (= should be paid) at the end of the month.
£50 is due to me (US due me) from the people I worked for last month.
Our thanks are due to everyone.

Some more examples of "due to", to put those arguments to rest:

  • Arguably the handling of those bones as tools of research is also incompatible with the respect due to humanity British Diplomacy in Northern India
  • In the morning we had talked of old families, and the respect due to them. The Life of Samuel Johnson vol.II
  • It stood on its neck/with a smile well-bred/And bowed three times to me!/It was none of your impudent/off-hand nods/But as humble as could be/For it clearly knew/The deference due/To a man of pedigree The Mikado
  • My thanks are due to former colleagues...
  • *'And you have accepted what was not due to you.' D'Artagnan's eyes flashed. * The Vicomte de Bragelonne
  • The first line gives the 'agreed fee', which is the total amount due to you, not including any VAT. How to Be an Illustrator

What I want to know is - in such cases, in American English, may we use "due" without the "to"?

Capitalization of chemical names in titles

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 07:58 AM PDT

I have a question about how to handle capitalization of chemical names in titles. This is the title I'm struggling with:

Canada Finalizes Screening Assessment for p-Toluenesulfonic Acid and Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate

Should the "p" remain lower case or should it be upper case?

Wind blew through the leaves of the tree.. other verbs? [closed]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 06:56 AM PDT

what's the verb? The same as the wind brushed against her cheek, but for trees?

What does "I'll not go a step further" actually mean in this specific context?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 07:23 AM PDT

Maybe you know the Norwegian folk tale Doll i 'the Grass. The story features the sentence

"But if you'll only say at once you'll be my wife, I'll not go a step further," said Boots to Doll i 'the Grass.

What does this mean? The literal meaning of walking or advancing in some physical room does not seem to come into question, nor does advancing in any kind of relationship, for in the context it is only a moment later when this same boy ("Boots") expresses his happiness about marriage with this tiny girl. So what does it really mean in this context?

Pls i need to know the correct word to use [closed]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 06:18 AM PDT

This message is meant to be sent to mrs jane and this message is meant to be send to mrs jane, which one is correct

Why is "the" not required in the phrase "Select call type"?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 06:22 AM PDT

Why is "the" not required in the phrase "Select call type"?

Why not "Select the call type"?

Context - app interfaces:

enter image description here

"Lecture notes in" or "Lecture notes on"

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 07:48 AM PDT

I have seen both options used interchangeably, is there a reason why?

What would then be the correct use in this case:

  1. Lecture notes on predictive control
  2. Lecture notes in predictive control

Gerunds or adjective clauses [migrated]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 03:20 AM PDT

Can someone explain this to me? I am confused by these gerund or adjective clauses.

Lionel messi attending the party.

Dolphins jumping at marineland in California.

Mafia selling drugs.

Bertrand Russell speaking at a protest meeting in Trafalgar square.

An oilrig drilling in the abu Dhabi offshore oilfields in the Persian gulf.

A child playing with an educational toy.

Rabbits drinking at a water-hole in Australia.

An Indian grass snake swallowing a frog.

Give me some feedbacks? [closed]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 02:08 AM PDT

Section: There are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music? Is the traditional music of a country more important than the international music that is heard everywhere nowadays.

At the present time, there is plenty of types of music around the world. Each kind of music suits each age of people. In fact, the songs with adorable and happy rhythms are suitable for children, and adults usually listen to the songs telling us about our lives, loves, and sorrows. Nevertheless, the hobbies of each person are not identical. Children could approach traditional music, non-lyrics music, symphony, etc..., which depends on their living environments. A person loving music can characterise the feeling after the song comes to an end, and express the nuances with both their melodies and their lyrics.

Music plays a vital role in our lives. Music is formed by sounds, human beings create the sounds, and animal species also create the sounds to authorise a perfect symphony. All of them combine each other. That is the reason why music is not fading out from our living environments that makes our lives more miraculous. The importance of music was got around by some medical theories that we are able to listen to music to treat some diseases relating to psychological issues, and it is the key to interlinking people's feelings. Moreover, music could help our quality of work becomes more and more effective with some relaxing songs. Concluding, the growing up of music and its sustaination are certainly significant in the human race's lives.

In contrast, it is said that international music is played everywhere and its popularity is eliminating the traditional music widespread. The number of modern music listeners is heightening, on the contrary, the number of traditional music listeners is decreasing, which depends on people's demands. Although everyone can make a choice of their own favourites, maintaining the traditional music is much more significant. Because it marked a vital milestone, which our ancesstors' traditions were recognised by descendants. For us, traditional music does not catch our attention; however, it is the happiness of our great-grandparents; therefore, the suitabilities of music for each age of people.

Generally, we shouldn't distract the importance of music, likewise, we ought not to look down on the historic value of traditional music.

Does the adjective 'unspoken' make sense in the context of this sentence?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 03:19 AM PDT

Does 'unspoken' fit the following sentence?

He stared up at the gang's unspoken leader.

It's never been declared that the bully the sentence refers to is actually the head of said gang, but everyone makes that assumption based on how assertive he is.

Would 'inferential leader' make more or less sense? I don't particularly fancy 'undeclared', which sounds like something you'd be more likely to use when going through customs. Any suggestions for alternative adjectives would be welcomed.

Is "head data" a true alternative to "header data"?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 01:11 AM PDT

Our software uses the term "head data" for which I think should be called "header data".

If I look up the German translation "Kopfdaten" on Leo, I only get "header data", not "head data".

For "head data" on Oxford learners, I get no exact match, but neither for "header data".

Linguee translates "Kopfdaten" to "header data", but also links to DeepL, which offers the alternative "head data".

The Oxford learners dictionary associates "header" with "footer"

a line or block of text that appears at the top of every page in a book or document

, which IMHO is exactly what the software does.

But definition 9 of "head" in Oxford learners

[singular] head of something the top or highest part of something

does not sound totally wrong either.

Is "head data" a true synonym for "header data" or just a bad word-by-word translation of the German term "Kopfdaten"? Regarding usability and frequency of use, which one should the software use?

Does "attempt" in past-tense imply failure? [migrated]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 08:49 AM PDT

I read the following in a technical manual:

Three consecutive start attempts are permitted without cooldown. After the third start attempt, the starter motor must cool down for at least 60 minutes.

Then this is echoed in a user manual:

After three consecutive start attempts, the crew must wait 60 min before a new start attempt.

A start procedure takes about a minute, and I see two possible interpretations:

  1. The motor cannot be started 4 times in a short period of time.
  2. If the motor fails to start 3 times in a row, you need to wait 60 minutes before trying again.

Which interpretation is more correct?

In future or present tenses, "attempt" does not imply success or failure, as an "attempt" could end in success. But in past-tense, I'm not so sure.

Arguments for interpretation 1:

  • "successful attempt" is not an oxymoron.
  • "Was his skydiving record attempt a success?" is a reasonable question.

Arguments for interpretation 2:

  • Interpretation 1 is not well defined. Only the time between the 3rd and 4th start is defined, leaving the time between the 1st and 3rd start unconstrained (if you typically do one start per day, then it doesn't make sense to wait 60min between the 3rd and 4th starts). Therefore interpretation 2 results in a clearer instruction.
  • We always refer to a coup-d'etat in past-tense as a "successful coup" or an "attempted coup" (failure implied).

What is the meaning of "paying in buttons"?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 08:10 AM PDT

From Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage by Rachel E. Gross:

As a child, Miriam dreamed of becoming a doctor like her father, Dr. Friedman, who had practiced medicine in Chedrin, Latvia. 'A real country doctor', as she called him, his patients came in horse and buggy and paid him in buttons.

I reckon it means "very little" in this context, but I've found on the Internet other instances where there's an opposition between "buttons" and "cash". For example:

But she'll have to pay in buttons instead of cash because she's a little strapped right now?

(from When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison)

which makes me think that there was a token of sorts that people used for payment in lieu of cash.

I can't find a definitive answer and would appreciate your insight.

Is it correct "A life without any loneliness"? [closed]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:23 AM PDT

Is it correct ? If not then what would be more appropriate to use

A query related to ‘must’ [closed]

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:28 AM PDT

A passport is must to travel abroad.

In the above statement, what is must? Is it a noun, an adjective or a verb? Please give an example of how 'must' can be used as an adjective.

"I'll have take contact you two about the details later"

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:18 AM PDT

"I'll have take contact you two about the details later"

I read this sentence in a manga and I was baffled as to what kind of grammatical function have is playing here. Is it an aspectual auxiliary? Is it a causative verb? Is the subject of have the one who takes contact?

Is "whack-a-mole" a correct use of hyphens?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:13 AM PDT

My understanding is that "whack-a-mole" as a compound noun should not be hyphenated, although if it were a compound adjective, such as "whack-a-mole-type game", the hyphens would be appropriate. Is this correct, or is it appropriate to hyphenate a compound noun in some cases?

What do you call someone who sets up a small-business but is not the owner?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:11 AM PDT

I'm trying to find a way to communicate my role or position title in this situation.

A friend of mine wanted to start a small business using their knitting skills, but they didn't know how to make a budget, track orders, market themselves, etc. They asked for my help and I set up those pages and spreadsheets for them and gave them a short training on how everything works. I have no further involvement except to maintain and change the format of the spreadsheets as the small business continues to take off and I am not the owner, I helped for the experience.

Now I'm trying to write about it and I can't find a word or phrase that acts like a 'job title' that can fully or even partially encompass what my role was in getting the business off the ground. When I try to look for words, analyst or assistant come up, but the former feels too involved and the latter feels too vague because I helped out with a range of things.

What is the term for belief that economic outcomes are entirely deserved?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 02:58 AM PDT

What is the name of the ideology that posits everyone's individual financial position (and the societal distribution of economic inequality) is already entirely justified, that is, individually earned by legitimate merit rather than substantially reflecting chance and privilege/disadvantage?

So far I've considered:

  • "Meritocracy" seems unclear. On one hand "meritocracy myth" seems to be a term of disparagement for this ideology, but "meritocracy" on its own is usually used in reference to policies attempting to mitigate unfair biases (i.e. implicitly rejecting the ideology).
  • "Prosperity gospel" seems similar, but implies a different specific mechanism (divine hand rather than the invisible hand of the free market)
  • Although it was one of the ideologies promoted by Ayn Rand, I don't think this is the part referred to as "objectivism".
  • "Karma" implies other forms of merit (and reward) that are often at odds with being enterprising and financially astute.

Sample sentence:

"Rand espoused [insert noun here]."

Semantic connection behind the etymology of "category?"

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 11:04 AM PDT

Ancient Greek had agora, from which they got the verb agorevo, meaning to speak in public assembly. From this in turn they derived kategoreo, meaning to speak against someone, to accuse someone of something in public assembly, and kategoria, accusation. This all makes perfect sense.

The English word category comes from kategoria. What is the semantic link?

The Wiktionary entries uses mysterious phrases like "head of predicables" and refer to the word "predication," which was a new one to me. I don't understand how we make the semantic link. Is the idea that a logical criterion somehow "accuses" a thing of belonging to a certain class? (But "accuse" comes from a completely different Greek root, related to words like "etiology.")

Hoping to learn the distinctions between aggress and assert

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 04:08 AM PDT

Based on all of the definitions I can find:

I understand aggressing is always offensive, whereas asserting can be offensive and defensive. I understand aggressing attempts to take or overtake something, while asserting only offers something. I understand aggressing can be physical or communicative, while asserting is only communicative.

Do you concur? Do you recognize a significant distinction I've missed? It seems to me that someone can be physically assertive, someone can aggressively defend themselves, and aggression can be done the beginning, middle and end, unlike all of the definitions that claim it only happens at the beginning. it's pretty muddy for me...hoping you can make it much clearer.

Expend vs. Spend: is my understanding of the semantic difference between "Expend" and "Spend" correct?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:00 PM PDT

I, sort of, tried to handpick the best resources and dictionaries for the semantic comparison/distinction of these two words. From those, I will share the definitions by the dictionaries I mainly tend to use.

Cambridge Dictionary

defines Expend, as:

Verb [T]: to use or spend time, effort, or money.

defines Spend, as:

Verb [I or T]: to give money as a payment for something:

Collins Dictionary

defines Expend as:

Verb: To expend something, especially energy, time, or money, means to use it or spend it.

defines Spend as:

Verb: When you spend money, you pay money for things that you want.

Is my understand correct, that:

Expend serves a bit more generic purpose in the cases, where we want to apply semantics of the Consuming some finite resource, be it a money, energy, fuel, or etc.

whilst

Spend defines exclusively the meaning of Spending money for something?

As what does "very much" function in "to be very much"?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 04:32 AM PDT

wikipedia.org:

The predicative expression accompanying the copula, also known as the complement of the copula, may take any of several possible forms: it may be a noun or noun phrase, an adjective or adjective phrase, a prepositional phrase or another adverb or adverbial phrase expressing time or location.

According to Wikipedia, "very much" isn't an adverbial phrase in the sentences below because it doesn't express time or location:

macmillandictionary.com:

1. We're very much a family, and we stick together.

2. Palmer is very much the man in charge of the team.

merriam-webster.com:

3. The company is still very much an important part of the community.

4. She is very much in control of the situation.

oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:

5. The emphasis is very much on learning the spoken language.

How does "very much" function in these sentences?

Is it correct to say "I associate my ringtone with a headache"?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:24 AM PDT

The idea is that it is very annoying and I'm tired to hear the same tune over and over again. Please see the full sentence where the phrase is used below:

Aren't you tired of your old boring ringtone that you almost associate with a headache?

How to describe the face one makes when feeling sorry for someone?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:27 AM PDT

How to describe the face one makes - like pressing together of lips to form a straight line - when they feel sorry for a person but have no solution to offer? The kind of face that says, "sorry, mate. wish I could help." A phrase for it would also work.

Why do we talk of 'spoiling for a fight'?

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 09:56 AM PDT

According to the OED the sense of spoiling for a fight/argument etc is of US origin.

Does anyone know the provenance of this use?

OED

to be spoiling for (a fight, etc.), to long for, to desire ardently or earnestly. Also const. inf. orig. U.S.>

1865 L. Stephen Sketches from Cambr. 67 We are in the condition which the Yankees call 'spoiling for a fight'.

1890 R. L. Stevenson Lett. (1899) II. 191 The native population..chronically spoiling for a fight.

1893 Nation (N.Y.) 16 Nov. 368/2 Dr. James Martineau, who, in spite of his eighty-nine years, seemed still to be 'spoiling for an argument'.

a1960 E. M. Forster Maurice (1971) vii. 42 Durham..would be found at all hours curled up in his room and spoiling to argue.

Of the difference between zeugma and syllepsis

Posted: 23 Jun 2022 11:53 AM PDT

I am confused about what is the relative meaning of zeugma compared to syllepsis, both in its current meaning and possibly in former understandings of these words.

The New Oxford American Dictionary has:

zeugma
a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses (e.g., John and his license expired last week) or to two others of which it semantically suits only one (e.g., with weeping eyes and hearts).

syllepsis
a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses (e.g., caught the train and a bad cold) or to two others of which it grammatically suits only one (e.g., neither they nor it is working).

According to this, there is some overlap, though zeugma is more about semantics and syllepsis about grammar. Online sources on this issue conflict, with some insisting one the difference ("not to be confused with zeugma") and others stating that the two have merged.

Can someone offer a clear view of the differences, present or past, between these terms?
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