Perhaps we should have a different term for meet = first time and meet up with (an even longer redundancy?). In French and Spanish there is a distinction and maybe that's where it's come from in American. They took a lot of collocations from German, anyone here know if 'meet a friend' and 'meet a new person' are distinguished there?
You mean in German? (Then: no, same word.)
Ah so that theory goes belly up then.The French always correct English people who use 'encontrer' meaning 'avoir rendez-vous'- it doesn't seem at all the same concept to them.
Clary wrote:Ah so that theory goes belly up then.The French always correct English people who use 'encontrer' meaning 'avoir rendez-vous'- it doesn't seem at all the same concept to them.
Well, different verbs for the transitive and intransive "to meet":
Quote:Main Entry: 1meet
Pronunciation: ˈmiːt
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): met \ˈmεt\; meeting
Usage: English word
transitive verb
1 : ENCOUNTER : rencontrer
2 : faire la connaissance de <I>
3 : JOIN : rejoindre
4 : CONFRONT : affronter <to meet the enemy : affronter l'ennemi>
5 : SATISFY : satisfaire
6 : AWAIT : attendre <I>
intransitive verb
1 : se rencontrer
2 : ASSEMBLE : se réunir
(source: Merriam-Webster French<>English dictionary
OK, but the transitive thing is immaterial here - avoir rendez-vous avec is what I'd say for meeting up, which isn't on your list - intransitive in 'nous avons rendez-vous cet après-midi'
Rendez-vous is a noun, not a verb. So that's a different use ...
Quote:Main Entry: rendez-vous
Pronunciation: rɑ̃devu
Function: invariable singular or plural masculine noun
Usage: French word
1 : appointment, meeting
2 : meeting place, rendezvous
Obviously, but Avoir rendez-vous avec is a verbal phrase.
So in English English at least, we have only one word (no that's wrong, but you know what I mean, "meet" serves for both) for rencontrer and rejoindre
Anyway what about more suggestions for US-style redundancies?
Have you heard of the word "mint" used as a verb, e.g to have your car minted up? ("valeted", put into mint condition)
Whar about the current use (sorry, it comes from the USA) of the word "troop" to mean an individual soldier?
That sounds really weird to me.
A back formation from troops, I suppose. Someone told me she'd lost a contact len yesterday. And I've heard trainer referring to a bicep.
McTag wrote:So in English English at least, we have only one word (no that's wrong, but you know what I mean, "meet" serves for both) for rencontrer and rejoindre
Anyway what about more suggestions for US-style redundancies?
Have you heard of the word "mint" used as a verb, e.g to have your car minted up? ("valeted", put into mint condition)
Whar about the current use (sorry, it comes from the USA) of the word "troop" to mean an individual soldier?
That sounds really weird to me.
That is actually military slang, McTag. 'Troop' or 'troops' can be used as a plural for a group of soldiers but as a singular noun it is not standard American English. Anyone who uses it that way is doing so in a semi-jocular manner.
A CONTACT LEN ?
Well don't that beat all.
That's priceless.
Walter Hinteler wrote:You mean in German? (Then: no, same word.)
I thought:
kennenlernen = meet for first time
treffen = meet (general)
Well, kennenlernen means more "to learn about someone" ... ahd been my initial though.
It does mean "meeting s.o. for the first time" as well, though.
(If used with "näher" however, you've met that person already before. :wink: )
"Treffen" is both - general and specific.
Merry Andrew wrote:That is actually military slang, McTag. 'Troop' or 'troops' can be used as a plural for a group of soldiers but as a singular noun it is not standard American English. Anyone who uses it that way is doing so in a semi-jocular manner.
Actually, there is a standard usage for troop, which means a body of soldiers, specifically, a body of cavalry, usually the equivalent of a company of infantry.
Drag-goons?
Would that be homosexual bouncers?
Heavy horse, you might say.
But the song does not explain why they were marching..... :wink:
All seriousness aside, i expect that the usage "troop" to mean a single individual comes from the use of the word trooper, combined with a healthy dose of ignorance.
