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Questions tagged [semantics]

Questions relating to semantics, the study of meaning.

0 votes
2 answers
101 views

Need an accessible explanation on nitty-gritty details of how semantical distinction between count vs uncount nouns works in English

Sorry if this question has been answered before, I have been unable to find anything remotely adequate on this website. What I want: to learn patterns that allow to be better at guessing (and/or ...
KarmaPeasant's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
65 views

Deck as verb and the accompanying preposition

As per Cambridge dictionary and others, the word 'deck' in its verb form means to decorate or add something to something to make an effect: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/deck ...
Ammu's user avatar
  • 133
0 votes
0 answers
38 views

He doesn’t go fishing with friends(,) as he once promised [ [not] to]

I am trying to translate a sentence. Which is the correct interpretation? He doesn’t go fishing with friends(,) as he once promised. = He doesn’t go fishing with friends, as he once promised to. He ...
sanya6's user avatar
  • 25
0 votes
1 answer
186 views

What does the word "leggit" mean?

I've just finished Call of Duty Black Ops II, and there was one word whose meaning I couldn't find even on the Internet. This is leggit, and it's a verb. I have a link to a YouTube video with this ...
user500689's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
141 views

Do auxiliary verbs have a meaning / an intrinsic meaning?

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_auxiliary_verbs): English auxiliary verbs are a small set of English verbs, which include the English modal auxiliary verbs and a few others. Although ...
user avatar
-3 votes
2 answers
88 views

It can't possibly be true, but somehow maybe

How is this sentence to be construed: 'It can't possibly be true, but somehow maybe.' ? Can you rephrase it? Source: https://youtu.be/X19aZ-MgibA?t=663 Would I Lie to You S17 E8. Non-UK viewers. 16 ...
sanya6's user avatar
  • 25
0 votes
1 answer
102 views

If a baddie is using, are they abusing?

The following sentence got me thinking 1: While hawala is used for the legitimate transfer of funds, its anonymity and minimal documentation have also made it vulnerable to abuse by individuals and ...
HingeSight's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
56 views

Syntax and semantics of implications with different arrangement of propositions

I have two statements If swimming is allowed in the shore, then sharks have not been spotted. If sharks have not been spotted, then swimming is allowed. I am a maths student, so based on that these ...
tbhaxor's user avatar
  • 103
-1 votes
2 answers
87 views

What about this sentence does not make sense?

From the16types.info forum, signature of user exsomnis: Either serve me now with comfortable deeds or disappear. What exactly is incorrect with the adjective "comfortable" modifying the ...
Fomalhaut's user avatar
  • 482
0 votes
5 answers
1k views

Does "overwhelming" equate to "majority"? [closed]

I had a disagreement with somebody, and I am struggling to see how I could be wrong. Essentially, I referred to a representation of a certain group of people on a website as overwhelming; my exact ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
45 views

Compare & Contrast to get deeper understanding of similarities and differences between Punchy vs Pithy

Reference : https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pithy Pithy adjective 1 : consisting of or abounding in pith 2 : having substance and point : tersely cogent Reference : https://www.merriam-...
crazyTech's user avatar
  • 265
2 votes
2 answers
95 views

I was thinking of her(,) swimming in the lake

Do we place a comma before 'swimming' in 'I was thinking of her swimming in the lake.'? How can it be rephrased? I was thinking of her while I was swimming in the lake. She swimming in the lake was ...
Didyougo's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
54 views

John goes to the cinema with Kate and (with) Ann

What's the difference between general public's interpretations of these: John goes to the cinema with Kate and Ann. John goes to the cinema with Kate and with Ann.
Quirkier's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
84 views

Is there a term for antonyms that are a small edit distance from each other?

I'm looking for examples of dramatic typos - where a minor edit can dramatically change the meaning of a phrase, and would like to know if there's a name for this phenomenon. Paronyms are a similar ...
Rhys Mills's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
283 views

"Keep it unchanged" vs. "Keep it constant" vs. "Keep it unchanging"

Using Google search, I found that the phrase "keep it unchanged" is very common while "keep it unchanging" is very uncommon and "keep it constant" is not so common. ...
Tran Khanh's user avatar

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