proper word usage

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Anonymous  #510751  Wed, 07 May 08 11:19 AM
Dear all,

I have a question to native speakers. I would like to know the difference between the following words: "reservoir, reserve, cache, treasure, stash" and which one is the most suitable for an abstract notion like "knowledge" or "incomprehensibility", (or maybe there is yet another word ? ;)). Second thing I would like to ask you for the difference between "incomprehensibility" and "unfathomability" as well as "incomprehensibility" and "incomprehensibleness".

 The bottom line is: I am trying to express something like that "an unknown reservoir of incomprehensibility" but I am not sure which words fit best together.

 Maybe you have some other suggestions.

 Thanks,

Tomek 

  
Grammar Geek  #510845  Wed, 07 May 08 03:38 PM

Hi Tomek,

A reservoir is often used to refer to the body of water and is the source of our drinking water. I suppose you can use it metaphorically to refer to what the person draws on to replenish to a normal level of supplies.

A reserve is an emergency supply of something that we use when our usualy supplies run out.

A cache has a sense of a secret supply of something. You may find a cache of candy bars is in the desk of a choco-holic at work.

A stash is very similar to a cache.

A treasure trove (use "trove") is a large collection of things that are delightful.

Something that is incomprehensible is so hard to understand that you are uanable understand it, while something that is unfathomable is simply incapble of being understood. If I do a bad job of explaining something, it may be incomprehensible, but a more competent teacher can make it understood, while some mysteries of life are simply unfathomable.

I hope you will not take offense at this, but the line you're striving for sounds pompous and overblown, like typical academic writing.  It actually sounds like you're tring to describe someone (a professor, perhaps?) who seems to have a limitless ability to spout incomprensible drivel. He draws from his seemingly limitless reservoir of incomprehensibility.

  
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tomeksmo  #510861  Wed, 07 May 08 03:58 PM
 thanks, no offense taken;) that is for an art class. one more thing Grammar Geek. So out of the list only reservoir could be used in a methaphoric sense, right?

  

  
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Grammar Geek  #510863  Wed, 07 May 08 04:00 PM

All of them could be, with an abstract noun. It's not like you actually file away emotions, for example, or smiles.

I just gave you one suggestion.

 

  
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