Re: Losing languages ...

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Estel Telcontar <estel_telcontar@Y...> wrote:
>  --- Costentin Cornomorus wrote:
> > --- Estel Telcontar wrote:
> >
> > > "the both of them" instead of "both of them"
> > > (German: die Beide von ihnen)
> >
> > As far as I'm aware, that's good English.
>
> Really?! As in "I talked to the both of them, and they said..." ?
As far as I'm concerned that's correct. I use both "both of them" and "the both of them."

However, there is a semantic difference between the two, because I wouldn't use them
interchangeably. I'd use "I talked to the both of them" only if I was talking
about the two of them as a unit. Just as I said "the two of them" not "two of
them" because I was referring to "them" as a unit. I'm not sure exactly what
the "the" adds in the context. Specificity? Definiteness? I can't quite put my
finger on it.

Heather

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