general approaches in learning the subtle (or not so subtle) differences of words
What is the best way to learn the subtle (or not so subtle) difference in words?
For example, most dictionaries will tell me that both 'replete with' and 'fraught with' mean 'full of.' But are they really the same?
Another example is the question I asked before about 'subside' and 'dissipate.' I looked up a few dictionaries but could not find a ton of helpful information, but people here are able to give very in-depth answers.
I am just wondering how people get the subtle shades of the meanings and how do I get those.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
single-word-requests
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
add a comment |
What is the best way to learn the subtle (or not so subtle) difference in words?
For example, most dictionaries will tell me that both 'replete with' and 'fraught with' mean 'full of.' But are they really the same?
Another example is the question I asked before about 'subside' and 'dissipate.' I looked up a few dictionaries but could not find a ton of helpful information, but people here are able to give very in-depth answers.
I am just wondering how people get the subtle shades of the meanings and how do I get those.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
single-word-requests
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
add a comment |
What is the best way to learn the subtle (or not so subtle) difference in words?
For example, most dictionaries will tell me that both 'replete with' and 'fraught with' mean 'full of.' But are they really the same?
Another example is the question I asked before about 'subside' and 'dissipate.' I looked up a few dictionaries but could not find a ton of helpful information, but people here are able to give very in-depth answers.
I am just wondering how people get the subtle shades of the meanings and how do I get those.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
single-word-requests
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
What is the best way to learn the subtle (or not so subtle) difference in words?
For example, most dictionaries will tell me that both 'replete with' and 'fraught with' mean 'full of.' But are they really the same?
Another example is the question I asked before about 'subside' and 'dissipate.' I looked up a few dictionaries but could not find a ton of helpful information, but people here are able to give very in-depth answers.
I am just wondering how people get the subtle shades of the meanings and how do I get those.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
single-word-requests
single-word-requests
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
edited 3 hours ago
Tom Bennett
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
asked 4 hours ago
Tom BennettTom Bennett
1094
1094
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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oldest
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Many, if not most of the contributors to English Language and Usage are native speakers so we have spent a lifetime acquiring our vocabularies.
As to how we learn the subtleties of meaning one of the ways is by asking the people from whom we learned them, often our parents, but also from reading and hearing the words in context.
For instance we know that "replete with" means "full of" literally in the sense of being full of food but sometimes means other things metaphorically while "fraught with" means "full of" in the sense of being encumbered because we have read many sentences using both words where the context is clear. We know that a bucket cannot be either "fraught" with water or "replete" with water because we have not read sentences with that construction. If we read one we would know that its use was either erroneous or poetic.
The way you, as a student of English, can learn these subtleties is to read and listen to as much good English as you can and, when you find a word you either do not recognise or of the subtle meaning of which you are unsure, to think about it and compare it with other contexts in which you seen the same word.
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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Many, if not most of the contributors to English Language and Usage are native speakers so we have spent a lifetime acquiring our vocabularies.
As to how we learn the subtleties of meaning one of the ways is by asking the people from whom we learned them, often our parents, but also from reading and hearing the words in context.
For instance we know that "replete with" means "full of" literally in the sense of being full of food but sometimes means other things metaphorically while "fraught with" means "full of" in the sense of being encumbered because we have read many sentences using both words where the context is clear. We know that a bucket cannot be either "fraught" with water or "replete" with water because we have not read sentences with that construction. If we read one we would know that its use was either erroneous or poetic.
The way you, as a student of English, can learn these subtleties is to read and listen to as much good English as you can and, when you find a word you either do not recognise or of the subtle meaning of which you are unsure, to think about it and compare it with other contexts in which you seen the same word.
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Many, if not most of the contributors to English Language and Usage are native speakers so we have spent a lifetime acquiring our vocabularies.
As to how we learn the subtleties of meaning one of the ways is by asking the people from whom we learned them, often our parents, but also from reading and hearing the words in context.
For instance we know that "replete with" means "full of" literally in the sense of being full of food but sometimes means other things metaphorically while "fraught with" means "full of" in the sense of being encumbered because we have read many sentences using both words where the context is clear. We know that a bucket cannot be either "fraught" with water or "replete" with water because we have not read sentences with that construction. If we read one we would know that its use was either erroneous or poetic.
The way you, as a student of English, can learn these subtleties is to read and listen to as much good English as you can and, when you find a word you either do not recognise or of the subtle meaning of which you are unsure, to think about it and compare it with other contexts in which you seen the same word.
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Many, if not most of the contributors to English Language and Usage are native speakers so we have spent a lifetime acquiring our vocabularies.
As to how we learn the subtleties of meaning one of the ways is by asking the people from whom we learned them, often our parents, but also from reading and hearing the words in context.
For instance we know that "replete with" means "full of" literally in the sense of being full of food but sometimes means other things metaphorically while "fraught with" means "full of" in the sense of being encumbered because we have read many sentences using both words where the context is clear. We know that a bucket cannot be either "fraught" with water or "replete" with water because we have not read sentences with that construction. If we read one we would know that its use was either erroneous or poetic.
The way you, as a student of English, can learn these subtleties is to read and listen to as much good English as you can and, when you find a word you either do not recognise or of the subtle meaning of which you are unsure, to think about it and compare it with other contexts in which you seen the same word.
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
Many, if not most of the contributors to English Language and Usage are native speakers so we have spent a lifetime acquiring our vocabularies.
As to how we learn the subtleties of meaning one of the ways is by asking the people from whom we learned them, often our parents, but also from reading and hearing the words in context.
For instance we know that "replete with" means "full of" literally in the sense of being full of food but sometimes means other things metaphorically while "fraught with" means "full of" in the sense of being encumbered because we have read many sentences using both words where the context is clear. We know that a bucket cannot be either "fraught" with water or "replete" with water because we have not read sentences with that construction. If we read one we would know that its use was either erroneous or poetic.
The way you, as a student of English, can learn these subtleties is to read and listen to as much good English as you can and, when you find a word you either do not recognise or of the subtle meaning of which you are unsure, to think about it and compare it with other contexts in which you seen the same word.
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
answered 3 hours ago
BoldBenBoldBen
5,867817
5,867817
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
add a comment |
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
One problem with this approach is that it is very difficult to encounter examples for less frequently used words. Take the instance of replete vs fraught. If I look at the Corpus of Contemporary American English (english-corpora.org), replete occurs 1,196 times, fraught 1,728 times, and, in comparison, "full" 113,335 times! Do you have any suggestions on what to read?
– Tom Bennett
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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