wide/deep

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Taka

#151653 Tue, 25 Oct 05 06:26 PM

Is there any difference between these two?

(a) to go deep
and
(b) to go deeply
-----
(c) to go wide
and
(d) to go widely

I mean, I wonder what exactly the difference is between the adverb 'deep' and 'deeply, 'wide' and widely', if there is any.

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,349)

Adverbs, Difference between, Verbs

MrPedantic

#151739 Wed, 26 Oct 05 01:04 AM

Hello Taka

To my mind, "deep" acts as a complement, and tells us something about the subject; whereas "deeply" tells us something about the manner of going.

Cf.

1. The bells rang loud and clear. => The bells were loud and clear when they rang.

2. The bells rang loudly and clearly. => The bells rang in a loud and clear fashion.

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (12,144)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

MrPedantic

#151740 Wed, 26 Oct 05 01:09 AM

For some reason, the title of your post reminds me of this poem by Robert Frost:

The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.

As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull.

The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be—
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.

They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?

(Sorry to be so off-topic.)

MrP

MrPedantic

CalifJim

#151770 Wed, 26 Oct 05 02:48 AM

One of my absolute favorites! And I never dreamed I'd see it here!
Thanks, Mr. P.

(Also sorry to be so off-topic.)
CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,568)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Taka

#151967 Wed, 26 Oct 05 06:18 PM

sorry to be so off-topic.

That's OK. Thanks for the nice prose.

Now, back to the topic.

Musical composers will contend that their art can go deeper and wider than words.

Applying your theory, it's going to be:

(a) their art is deeper
(b) their art is wider

(a) seems OK to me, but (b) doesn't. Art is wide?? Does it make sence??

Taka

MrPedantic

#152077 Thu, 27 Oct 05 01:37 AM

Hmm. Let me rephrase it:

"To my mind, 'deep' acts as a complement, and tells us something about the subject at the end of the process; whereas 'deeply' tells us something about the process itself."

"Wide" in this context is presumably meant to relate to "breadth of emotion, etc".

The problem with the example is that it expresses a metaphor with only one term. We know that X goes deep and wide, and that it goes deeper and wider than another X; and we know that one X is like music, and the other X is like literature.

But what goes deep and wide? Some kind of surgical instrument, maybe?

What do you picture?

MrP

MrPedantic

Literature, Metaphors