Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2007 May 13

= May 13 =

close and closed --- related?
I would like to add another question: has the word "CLOSE" ever meant "NOT OPEN"? If so, then, what dictionary cites the meaning? thank you. You have all been helpful. I am expecting a reply.

this question was ignored last time.. i hope there will be an answer to this now. thanks. Carlrichard 06:23, 13 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes, see http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=close under " –adjective ", several meanings starting at 39. --Lambiam Talk  07:50, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Apologies, in error I stated that the question was answered last time but in fact the (similar) question which preceded it was what I was thinking of. --Alex16zx 08:02, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

ten years old?
please compare the two:

I am a ten-year old child.

I am ten years old.

I am confused. Why can we not say "I am ten-year old?" Is it because of the last word being a noun or an adjective? I hope somebody will be able to help me out on this. Please lecture me (I hope that's an appropriate word). I am really racking my brain, trying to figure out why that is so.. Thank you in advance. Carlrichard 19:10, 14 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Normally, when you precede a measure by a quantity greater than one, the word indicating the quantity is put in the plural: We have been waiting for two hours; This pole is ten feet long. However, when such a quantified measure is used as a modifier, the singular form is used: A two-hour wait; A ten-foot pole. Now you may ask: why is "ten years" in "I am ten years old" not a modifier of "old"? Well, there is no particular good reason for why it isn't, but that is the way it has turned out in English grammar. You can also say "He was ten years of age", but not *"He was a ten-year of age child", so these are different constructions. --Lambiam Talk  08:07, 13 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Although strangely, at least in British English it is perfectly normal to say This pole is ten foot long. Seems only to happen with the imperial units feet and stone(s?) though. Also in British English, ten foot poles (with which you shouldn't touch someone) are traditionally bargepoles. Cyta 08:04, 14 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Hmm, most Brits would probably say this, but it's not standard English. In many varieties spoken in the UK counting nouns don't get pluralised: where I grew up (Tyneside) people did say I'm ten year old, as well as ten foot, even that I walked five mile (though the singular form with 'year' and 'mile' is probably rarer than with 'foot'). Drmaik 09:17, 14 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes, we do a similar thing in East Yorkshire - "he's five foot tall" [common], "that was ten year ago" [less common] etc. I've always assumed this was the influence of Scandinavian, where I believe the standard form for such things is the singular, but perhaps a Danish speaker can enlighten me further. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 194.66.229.8 (talk) 10:13, 14 May 2007 (UTC).


 * Indeed that seems to be a north eastern thing, I think six foot tall or weighing thirteen and a half stone (personal details revealed here!) are more universal across Britain, although I never thought about it till now. I'll have to listen out Cyta 11:21, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Can anyone provide a web site address that discusses more on the grammar rules on the above-mentioned sentences.. thank you? Carlrichard 19:10, 14 May 2007 (UTC)


 * It is mentioned (very briefly) in our article English plural, in the section Plurals and units of measure. A slightly longer discussion is here, including the observation made above by Drmaik. See also this discussion on an ESL Teachers' forum. --Lambiam Talk  21:04, 14 May 2007 (UTC)