Search results for 'tag:Synonyms tag:Dialects' matching tags 'Synonyms' and 'Dialects'

designation

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:01:48 GMT

The designations of Eskimo peoples vary with their languages and dialects.

What is a synonym for designations in the sentence?

Thanks

Re: be supposed to

Marius Hancu — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:52:22 GMT

More on obligate/oblige:

According to this US source, they are synonyms only in the meaning 3b:

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obligate

Function:transitive verb

Etymology:Latin obligatus, past participle of obligare to oblige -- more at OBLIGE

1 obsolete : BIND, FASTEN

2 a : to pledge as security b : to assign or commit (as funds) to meet a particular obligation <the treasury had obligated anticipated receipts from the new tax>

3 a : to constrain or bind to some course of action (as by legal measures, moral or social considerations, or force of circumstances) <obligated to pay alimony> <community life obligates each of us to certain restraints and conformities> b : OBLIGE 3a <hoping to obligate enough of his colleagues to put over the measure> <I don't like to be obligated to anybody>

4 : to put under a promise, vow, or oath especially as part of a ceremony of initiation into an organization

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (30 Jan. 2007).
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According to the SOED, obligate still exists in BrE with the formal meaning at 3, but not the one at 4:

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obligate

1-2 (obsolete meanings)

3 Bind a person (morally or legally). Usually in passive, be bound or compelled (to do).

4. Confer a favor on, place under an obligation; oblige. Usually in passive. Now chiefly dialect and North America.

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
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Re: schewa sound

Enca999 — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 21:15:03 GMT

schewa or schwa sound?

This is the definition about schwa sound in wikipedia: "Schwa is the most common vowel sound in English, the unstressed vowel in many unstressed syllables, like the 'a' in about or the 'o' in synonym. Many British English (BrE) dialects have two schwa sounds, whereas many American English (AmE) dialects have only one. Schwa is a very short neutral vowel sound, and like all vowels, its precise quality varies depending on the adjacent consonants." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwa)

Re: household

Antonija — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 07:46:34 GMT

Hello everybody!

Dear Clive, thank you for explaining the semantic difference and different conotations of the two synonyms. I am aware that ''female persons'' sounds offensive. The text is ironic, but perhaps this is not the best term. I was trying to translate the word in Croatian so I must admit it was not a literal translation. It is more colloquial term for woman, which in my language is slightly derrogative when heard in standard language but exists in some dialects and can be regarded as Kajjo says ''old-fashioned''.

The text is written by a ''female'' author and I find it funny, not in the least offensive. I must say that it is far-fetched and that men in Croatia are as humble as everywhere else around the world

Re: Peripheral adjectives

MrPedantic — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 12:06:55 GMT

I may have spoken too hastily...

In the Little/Small thread in the Vocab section, khoff perceptively says that '['it is little', etc] sounds like a childish vocabulary selection'.

I think this is true. In the instances where I've heard adults use 'little' in this way, there has usually been an element of humour or deliberate twee-ness. Take 'I'm only little', for instance:

{In the English Forums complaints department:}
A: Here's the letter of complaint about MrP. You'll find his file on the top shelf.
B: On the top shelf? How can I reach up there? I'm only little!

{In the English Forums 'Prepositions and Adverbs' department:}
A: What a very small office you have here. How do you manage?
B: Oh well, I'm only little...

The humour (such as it is) seems to reside in the self-deprecation (appropriately, Merriam-Webster gives 'belittle' as a synonym of 'deprecate'). Perhaps the 'childish vocabulary selection' adds to this.

Curiously, I wouldn't expect a male to say 'I'm only little!'. Cf. 'more-ish', 'ah, bless!', 'poo': all slightly surprising from males. (Against which, there are plenty of 'chaps' phrases', of course.)

So perhaps 'to be + little' should have a Warning! flag, rather than an outright and utter ban.

MrP
PS: Above only applies to BrE, as usual...It may be different in other dialects!

Re: When to use would and when to use could

Casi — Sat, 05 Mar 2005 03:40:48 GMT

CJ:

. . . "could" often means "would be able to", so in a way "could" sometimes contains the meaning of "would" within it.

Agreed. Not true synonyms of course, as you noted, but close enough. My dialect shares that distribution.

EX: I would (be able to) do it, but. . .
EX: I could do it, but . . .