Close the gate /s

Hi

You mean a gate has two wings?

Close the gate is what we say in this case in my language.

Inchoateknowledge wrote:

Hi You mean a gate has two wings? Close the gate is what we say in this case in my language.

Tidus' reply came before mine.

Some doors have two parts. I believe such doors are called double doors. Some gates have two parts. Are the two parts called 'leaves' or 'wings'?  Do we call such a gate, 'double gate'?

So, if my gate has two parts (or wings / leaves), do I say, "Close the gates."

Incho says in his language, it should be "Close the gate".

I would like to hear from native speakers.

Tidus wrote:

I am a native speaker.  If there is only one part to a gate then it is "close the gate".  If there are two parts to a gate, it is still "close the gate", but people also say "close the gates" where the gate is made up of two parts.  It doesn't really matter.

Thanks, Tidus.

I would like to confirm whether the two parts of the gate are called 'leaves' or 'wings'. I remember they are called 'leaves' but Incho mentioned 'wings'. Therefore I would appreciate it very much if you could let me know the correct term.

You're right Clive,  strictly speaking, it would be a double gate, yet no-one would say "close the double gate" - unless of course there was also a single gate somewhere and the distinction was being made on which gate is to be closed.

And, as you say, the parts that make up the gate are just called gates, not leaves or wings. I suppose it wouldn't be completely wrong to use those terms, but nobody does - everybody just says gate.