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Re: 'together vs. to gather'

From:Philippe Caquant <herodote92@...>
Date:Saturday, January 17, 2004, 16:02
If you had to draw a symbol for "to gather" or "to
disperse" (both intransitive), how would you do ? You
would probably draw several arrows (at least three)
into separate directions from a same point, or
pointing to a single point from different directions
(see PowerPoint symbols for ex). With other verbs of
movement (to go, to go up / down, to go around, etc),
you would draw a single arrow, oriented one or another
way, straight or curve, etc. That's way I think that
those verbs contain a seme of "plural".

--- Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:
> Quoting Costentin Cornomorus <elemtilas@...>: > > > --- Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> did > > screeve: > > > > > Quoting Philippe Caquant > > > <herodote92@...>: > > > > > > > But how can we conceive verbs like "to > > > > gather" or "to disperse" without the notion > > > > of plural > > > > ? Those verbs seem to BE plural in essence, > > > > they require a plural subject. > > > > > > You mean the concept of number, don't you? > > > > > > I assume you're talking about the intransitive > > > versions of those verbs? > > > > If so, I don't see how number could enter it at > > all. The act of gathering or dispersing can take > > place without ever having gathered or dispersed > > anything. > > Explain that again? English grammar being what it > is, number will rear its > sibilant head as soon as count nouns are involved, > and intr "to gather" > and "to disperse" can certainly take count nouns as > subjects. (Are there any > English verbs that can't take both count and mass > nouns as subjects?) > > > > As > > > long as the subject is to be a count noun, the > > > it pretty much has to be > > > plural, it seems. But if it's mass, then the > > > sg/pl contrast is simply > > > transcended. "Dust gathered in the unused > > > rooms" or whatever. > > > > Also with change of voice, there. [Like "soup > > cooks".] > > Change of voice with regard to what? > > > Andreas
===== Philippe Caquant "Le langage est source de malentendus." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus

Replies

Costentin Cornomorus <elemtilas@...>
Tim May <butsuri@...>