Re: Natural Order of Events

> Christophe Grandsire-Koevoets <tsela.cg@...> wrote:
> That's really interesting. I know about classifiers in the context
> of counting, but didn't know that such things existed also in other
> contexts. At the same time, English does ride or drive, depending
> on the vehicle, while French uses a single word "conduire" (which
> we actually don't use that much anyway).
I believe it's a little more nuanced than that.  One 'rides (on)' a
steed because that person is both on it and guiding it.  But only the
driver of a vehicle 'drives' it. Others must 'ride in' the vehicle.
One can 'drive' a steed, but that has the nuance of being behind it
and forcing it to go where you want, e.g., to drive cattle.

I imagine that 'conduire' is cognate to 'conduct.'  'Conduct' has a
sense of guiding about it.  I love the Spanish word.  They
say 'manejar' for 'drive' (a vehicle).  They 'manage' the vehicle.
One can also 'dirigir' or 'manejar' a steed.  What does one say in
modern French instead of 'conduire"?

Then, of course, one 'pilots' a boat or an airplane if he is guiding
it, not 'drive.'  I imagine that's a back formation from the noun.
But the passengers 'ride in' the boat or airplane.

With a bit of a nuance added, one can also 'steer' a vehicle.  But
one doesn't really 'steer' a steed.  'Steer' cries out to be a strong
verb: steer, stor, stort?

Charlie

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