|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Sometime ago someone of the non-USn persuasion made some snide comment about the USn use of math as an abbreviation of mathematics as opposed to the "more logical" maths. In doing so this person wondered what maths were being left out. To me this would imply that maths would take a plural verb, but, in an item on the Nature Science Update page http://www.nature.com/nsu/020318/020318-9.html they use the construction "Maths shows that Greek poets had more rhythm than the Romans." Any comments from the pro s forces?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
And since the mathematicians were not in UK, they thought they were using math, poor things. Didn't know their maths from a hole in the ground.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Didn't know their maths from a hole in the ground.
...cute, wwh, cute!
DD
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Faldage, if you would permit a comment from a con s force:
Makes sense to me that if mathematics takes a singular verb, then by extension (or compression, if you prefer) so would maths. But maybe that's not what you were getting at?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
not what you were getting at?
It's sort of what I'm getting at, but also the point about not liking math because of a sneaking suspicion that some of them are being left out. I just Searched for "maths" in the past year and do not see the post in question.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
I noticed that there's also a difference with the US sports and the European sport. Somewhat the opposite of math/maths. Any explanation for this?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
In both cases it's just usage. Where I come from you're just as like to hear "math" as "maths". You're just as likely to hear "sport" as "sports". And vice versa for both. Unless you are explicitly talking about a number of different sporting codes at once, both take the singular verb.
Like I said, it's just usage. It's not even a USn, non-USn thang!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Yes, but Maxie, you live near Hastings. I mean, you're right in the middle of a area where the locals can only count to 20 if they are wearing jandals. Where spelling bees are that much more literate than the natives and are really the main hive of industry. You have led too sheltered a life. Get out more. Go visit a big city ... say, Napier, for example!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,397
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
579
guests, and
1
robot. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|