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Hello. I'm new here, but I just stumbled across this reference desk stuff, and I must say, I'm freakin' ecstatic! Here's my question: the difference between "might" and "may", and if you could, please provide proof, (sorry; I don't want to be a skeptical jerk, but I like proof is all...). Thank you very much for your time! 72.85.144.149 04:29, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
E.g. "a consummate professional". Most people in Australia (and, judging from tv/films, elsewhere as well) pronounce this word CON-syoo-mət. But occasionally I hear cən-SUM-ət, and I prefer that version myself.
Firstly, the word is spelled with a double m. Secondly, as the word has nothing to do with consuming anything, and everything to do with perfection of skills, or reaching the top of one's craft/profession (top = summit, from L. summus), I believe cən-SUM-ət is more in tune with the meaning than CON-syoo-mət is. Nevertheless, I accept that pronunciation of words is more governed by the mob's actual usage than by the theories of grammarians.
Whenever I say "cən-SUM-ət", people's eyebrows get raised. I'm perfectly happy to be a brow-raiser (I've been doing it all my life), but if I'm actually wrong (shock, horror), I could never forgive myself. Am I justified in continuing to say it this way, or should I just give in to the mob? JackofOz 07:10, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
Is a consummate professional a professional who consumes consommé ? :-) StuRat 17:29, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
Hello again. About this sentence: "The stranger, or whatever she were, remained standing..." (from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance, chapter IV). Shouldn't it be "... or whatever she was"? I thought "were" was reserved for either 1. a plural subject, or 2. Something along the lines of the Counterfactual conditional,(Correct me if I'm wrong about this please) (also check out here for this example that I think illustrates what I mean: "If she were [colloq. was] at work today, she would know how to deal with this client.") Thanking you for your time and patience, 72.85.144.149 20:07, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
Language desk | ||
---|---|---|
< March 31 | << Mar | April | May >> | April 2 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives |
---|
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
Hello. I'm new here, but I just stumbled across this reference desk stuff, and I must say, I'm freakin' ecstatic! Here's my question: the difference between "might" and "may", and if you could, please provide proof, (sorry; I don't want to be a skeptical jerk, but I like proof is all...). Thank you very much for your time! 72.85.144.149 04:29, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
E.g. "a consummate professional". Most people in Australia (and, judging from tv/films, elsewhere as well) pronounce this word CON-syoo-mət. But occasionally I hear cən-SUM-ət, and I prefer that version myself.
Firstly, the word is spelled with a double m. Secondly, as the word has nothing to do with consuming anything, and everything to do with perfection of skills, or reaching the top of one's craft/profession (top = summit, from L. summus), I believe cən-SUM-ət is more in tune with the meaning than CON-syoo-mət is. Nevertheless, I accept that pronunciation of words is more governed by the mob's actual usage than by the theories of grammarians.
Whenever I say "cən-SUM-ət", people's eyebrows get raised. I'm perfectly happy to be a brow-raiser (I've been doing it all my life), but if I'm actually wrong (shock, horror), I could never forgive myself. Am I justified in continuing to say it this way, or should I just give in to the mob? JackofOz 07:10, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
Is a consummate professional a professional who consumes consommé ? :-) StuRat 17:29, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
Hello again. About this sentence: "The stranger, or whatever she were, remained standing..." (from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance, chapter IV). Shouldn't it be "... or whatever she was"? I thought "were" was reserved for either 1. a plural subject, or 2. Something along the lines of the Counterfactual conditional,(Correct me if I'm wrong about this please) (also check out here for this example that I think illustrates what I mean: "If she were [colloq. was] at work today, she would know how to deal with this client.") Thanking you for your time and patience, 72.85.144.149 20:07, 1 April 2007 (UTC)