>Dear Tamara, > >Somewhere in the deep recesses of my memory, there's a half-buried idea >that "each other" and "one another" are *not* the same thing, and are used >differently. I seem to remember being taught that one's used when the >interraction is limited to two only, and the other's used when there's a >bigger group. The problem is, I can't, for the life of me, remember *which >is which*...
While I don't recall being taught anything about these two phrases, I shall quote from "Usage and Abusage" p. 101:- each other & one another: 'Even the atmospheres of Italy and Spain are quite different from one another - or from each other; I leave this point for grammarians to decide; it leaves your humbled preface writer gravelled", R.B. Cunninghame GRAHAM. There is a rule - a very simple rule: each other applies to two persons, animals or things; one another to three or more. This constitutes, not a mere grammarian's ex cathedra but a practical utility; for instance, if the rule is observed, one can be in no doubt that 'They hit each other' refers to two persons. whereas 'They hit one another' refers to three or more. Obviously, to follow the rule is to ensure economy of words. It is odd to find so fine a writer as Paul HORGAN saying, 'The train and the town were moving towards one another; the train, across distance; the town, across time'. [Webster's: 'Some sought to restrict each other to two, as opp. to one another, but the distinction is disregarded by writers.'] I will not write here about the usage or shall and will, suffice it to say that there is more than one full page on the subject in "Usage and Abusage" by Eric PARTRIDGE. David in Ballarat >I asked DH -- he is, afterall, a native speaker of English, and a >(retired) prof of American lit at the U. He says he's never heard of such >a distinction, and that the two are interchangable. OTOH, he's American >born-and-bred, and, as I had taken my baby steps in *Brit* English, a seed >of doubt remains... :) > >I realise that I'll be *understood*, no matter which form I use... but I'd >also like to be *correct* <g> It's bad enough that my punctuation is "all >awry" due to the different influences; I'd as soon have my phrases right. >So I thought I'd ask here... Perhaps some of you might be old enough to >also have been taught something similiar? I've long ago given up trying to >differenciate between "I shall" and "I will" (and don't use "I shall" at >all, as a result), but, surely, there has to be a limit to how far a >standard's permitted to slip? > >----- >Tamara P Duvall >Lexington, Virginia, USA >Formerly of Warsaw, Poland >http://lorien.emufarm.org/~tpd/ > >To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: >unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
