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Avangi

#515056 Sun, 18 May 08 01:33 AM

Hi Clive, Thanks for enlightening me on "subside." I've always thought of it as returning to (or approaching) normal after a period of aberration. But after checking, I find that all the definitions comport with your usage, and mine is only an optional part of one definition, well down the list. (Where have I been? - I would have sworn you were wrong!)

Thanks again, - A.

Avangi

Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007

Senior Member (3,289)

". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

Anonymous

#515170 Sun, 18 May 08 12:39 PM

Anonymous

Do you mean if a building sinks; the whole building goes down into the ground and out of sight? Or part of the building goes down into the ground?

Hi Clive,

Thank you very much for your reply. Can 'subside' be used in either way like 'sink' here? Are they interchangeable if it can?

Thanks.

Anonymous

Clive

#515233 Sun, 18 May 08 04:27 PM

Hi,

'Subside' means 'sink into the ground'.

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (21,191)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Anonymous

#515266 Sun, 18 May 08 06:43 PM

Hi Clive,

Many thank for your help. Do you mean the whole building goes down into the ground if I use 'subside' here?

Thanks a lot.

Anonymous

Clive

#515275 Sun, 18 May 08 07:21 PM

Hi,

Not necessarily. Maybe, maybe not.

Clive

Anonymous

#515301 Sun, 18 May 08 08:38 PM

Hi Clive, many thanks!

According to your answer, it seems that there is no difference between 'subside' and 'sink' in meaning in the example

The flood made the building sink/subside.

Did I say that right or is there any subtle difference?

Thanks a lot.

Anonymous

Difference between

Clive

#515309 Sun, 18 May 08 09:18 PM

Hi,

Sink' tends to suggest 'into water'. I'd say 'sink into the ground'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Anonymous

#515322 Sun, 18 May 08 09:51 PM

Hi Clive,

Do you mean it is better to say 'the flood made the building sink into the ground rather than 'the flood made the building sink'?

"The flood made the building subside' and 'The flood made the building sink into the ground' are interchangeable?

Thank you very much for your great help.

Anonymous

Clive

#515426 Mon, 19 May 08 05:38 AM

Hi,

Do you mean it is better to say 'the flood made the building sink into the ground rather than 'the flood made the building sink'? Yes.

"The flood made the building subside' and 'The flood made the building sink into the ground' are interchangeable? #1 sounds better than #2, but I think I'd probably say 'The flood undermined the building'.

I hope you understand that if the water just rises around the house. it doesn't mean that the house sinks into the ground. When the water goes down, the house will still be in the same position (unless the water softens the ground and damages the foundations of the house. Even then, the house might just collapse.)

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

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