“Both” for more than two objects
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If I were to ask:
Which children did you bring?
and you respond:
I brought both Adam and Billy.
The "both" implies not only that you brought two children, but that you brought your only two children (that the whole set was brought).
If, however, you had more than two children, neither:
I brought Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
nor:
I brought all of Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
would have the same connotation that you brought all your children. The first gives no idea how many children there are total, and the second sounds more like you brought "all of" each individual item. Is there a word that has extends the meaning of "both" to more than two?
single-word-requests meaning lists
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 2 days ago
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add a comment |
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If I were to ask:
Which children did you bring?
and you respond:
I brought both Adam and Billy.
The "both" implies not only that you brought two children, but that you brought your only two children (that the whole set was brought).
If, however, you had more than two children, neither:
I brought Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
nor:
I brought all of Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
would have the same connotation that you brought all your children. The first gives no idea how many children there are total, and the second sounds more like you brought "all of" each individual item. Is there a word that has extends the meaning of "both" to more than two?
single-word-requests meaning lists
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 2 days ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
3
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
If I were to ask:
Which children did you bring?
and you respond:
I brought both Adam and Billy.
The "both" implies not only that you brought two children, but that you brought your only two children (that the whole set was brought).
If, however, you had more than two children, neither:
I brought Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
nor:
I brought all of Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
would have the same connotation that you brought all your children. The first gives no idea how many children there are total, and the second sounds more like you brought "all of" each individual item. Is there a word that has extends the meaning of "both" to more than two?
single-word-requests meaning lists
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
If I were to ask:
Which children did you bring?
and you respond:
I brought both Adam and Billy.
The "both" implies not only that you brought two children, but that you brought your only two children (that the whole set was brought).
If, however, you had more than two children, neither:
I brought Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
nor:
I brought all of Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
would have the same connotation that you brought all your children. The first gives no idea how many children there are total, and the second sounds more like you brought "all of" each individual item. Is there a word that has extends the meaning of "both" to more than two?
single-word-requests meaning lists
single-word-requests meaning lists
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
asked Aug 22 at 22:59
donnyton
1233
1233
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 2 days ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 2 days ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
3
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago
add a comment |
3
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago
3
3
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
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I can think of no single word in the sense you mean, but I believe a slight rephrasing of your last sentence would serve the purpose:
I brought them all: Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
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The phrase "all of" in the sentence listing three children wouldn't parallel the meaning "both" has in the sentence listing two children but would tend to intimate that Adam, Billy, and Charlotte constitute a paltry amount of children to bring.
There is no word that can be used exactly like "both" but for more than two. You would instead have to say something like:
I brought Adam, Bill, and Charlotte, all three.
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
I can think of no single word in the sense you mean, but I believe a slight rephrasing of your last sentence would serve the purpose:
I brought them all: Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
I can think of no single word in the sense you mean, but I believe a slight rephrasing of your last sentence would serve the purpose:
I brought them all: Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
I can think of no single word in the sense you mean, but I believe a slight rephrasing of your last sentence would serve the purpose:
I brought them all: Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
I can think of no single word in the sense you mean, but I believe a slight rephrasing of your last sentence would serve the purpose:
I brought them all: Adam, Billy, and Charlotte.
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
answered Aug 22 at 23:09
Jason Bassford
14.8k31941
14.8k31941
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
The phrase "all of" in the sentence listing three children wouldn't parallel the meaning "both" has in the sentence listing two children but would tend to intimate that Adam, Billy, and Charlotte constitute a paltry amount of children to bring.
There is no word that can be used exactly like "both" but for more than two. You would instead have to say something like:
I brought Adam, Bill, and Charlotte, all three.
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
The phrase "all of" in the sentence listing three children wouldn't parallel the meaning "both" has in the sentence listing two children but would tend to intimate that Adam, Billy, and Charlotte constitute a paltry amount of children to bring.
There is no word that can be used exactly like "both" but for more than two. You would instead have to say something like:
I brought Adam, Bill, and Charlotte, all three.
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The phrase "all of" in the sentence listing three children wouldn't parallel the meaning "both" has in the sentence listing two children but would tend to intimate that Adam, Billy, and Charlotte constitute a paltry amount of children to bring.
There is no word that can be used exactly like "both" but for more than two. You would instead have to say something like:
I brought Adam, Bill, and Charlotte, all three.
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
The phrase "all of" in the sentence listing three children wouldn't parallel the meaning "both" has in the sentence listing two children but would tend to intimate that Adam, Billy, and Charlotte constitute a paltry amount of children to bring.
There is no word that can be used exactly like "both" but for more than two. You would instead have to say something like:
I brought Adam, Bill, and Charlotte, all three.
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
edited Aug 23 at 1:14
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
answered Aug 23 at 1:08
Billy
1,55015
1,55015
add a comment |
add a comment |
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3
Hello and welcome, donnyton. I would like to ask a clarifying question: In what real-world context does I brought both Adam and Billy necessarily imply that the speaker has only these 2 children?
– Knotell
Aug 22 at 23:28
I agree with what @Knotell is suggesting. Saying "both" in that sentence can imply that Adam and Billy are your only children but not necessarily. It would depend on context.
– Billy
Aug 23 at 0:57
I have a son and two daughters: Adam, Charlotte, and Dot. We had planned to go to the zoo yesterday. Charlotte and Dot weren't feeling well, so Adam asked if his best friend is Billy could come instead. I brought both Adam and Billy. The word "both" does not imply that I have two kids.
– Ian MacDonald
2 days ago