Tagged Questions
5
votes
3answers
105 views
If , as John Lawler says, orthography is not part of language, how can these commas interfere with today's discussion about gun control? [duplicate]
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
I read an interesting article on The New York ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
Why ; is called semicolon and what is its history? [closed]
Semi- is a Latin prefix meaning "half" and colon is another punctuation.
Should I therefore say that semicolon is a halved colon?
1
vote
1answer
82 views
What is a “big-ender pair”?
In the sci.math newsgroup ca. 23 Mar 2013, in thread Subject: Re: math formulae?, I saw the following:
> >"Is the tournment liken to a bridge tournment? The problem is vague.
> > ...
15
votes
4answers
1k views
Meaning of “My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher” with and without commas
Can anyone help me understand the difference in meaning between these two sentences?
My friend who lives in Paris is a teacher.
My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher.
To me it ...
3
votes
5answers
139 views
Question Regarding Possessives with ('s) and (of)
Question: Is the first one redundant and proper, or is it redundant and not necessarily correct? Thanks!
(1) "He is a friend of Doug's."
(2) "He is a friend of Doug."
3
votes
1answer
282 views
What is it called when punctuation changes the meaning of a sentence?
Is there a word describing a sentence whose meaning is changed by moving the punctuation? For example,
Let’s eat, Mommy!
and
Let’s eat Mommy!
2
votes
2answers
114 views
Unions' Assassins' Guild or Union's Assassins' Guild?
Is it Unions' Assassins' Guild or Union's Assassins' Guild?
If my English serves me, I think both are right but have slightly different meanings. Can someone shed some light?
-1
votes
1answer
106 views
i would like to know how this clause as written would be interpreted [closed]
a. To be eligible for a vacation in any calendar year, an Employee must:
1) have one year or more of Continuous Service; and
(2) have worked for at least 520 hours during the preceding calendar
...
8
votes
5answers
313 views
Can word-hyphenation ever be semantically significant?
I was prompted by this question (difference between ecosystem and eco-system) to wonder whether word-hyphenation can ever be semantically significant.
My gut instinct is to say that since hyphenation ...
2
votes
5answers
6k views
When does a comma change the meaning of a sentence?
Match the two sentences with their meaning:
1) I had a discussion with a friend and a programmer.
2) I had a discussion with a friend, and a programmer.
Meanings:
a) I talked to a ...
3
votes
3answers
202 views
Meaning of quintuple-quote punctuation: '' ' ''
In a book my daughter is reading, I found the following usage of the unfamiliar symbols:
But those words dont help. So I reach over, wipe away his tear with the side of my thumb, and say the only ...
3
votes
4answers
476 views
Can “…” mean the same thing as a semicolon?
Can a semicolon be replaced with "..." (an ellipsis) in a sentence? Is there any difference at all?
4
votes
1answer
96 views
“loving” vs. “love”
Boy your loving is all I think about
1) Why not a comma after 'boy'? Is this grammar correct, because it looks like two subjects?
2) Why not 'love'? What's the difference in this sentence?
4
votes
1answer
748 views
What is the difference between “solidus” and “slash”?
I was reading a text, and I found the word solidus.
What is a solidus? Is the word normally used in everyday language, or is there another word that replaces solidus even if it's not the completely ...
