27
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works to c/english@lemmy.ca

The word "elsewhere" conveniently exist to spare us the chore of saying "somewhere else". Why then do we waste or time saying "someone else" or "some other time"?

top 12 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago

it used to be like that elsewhen

[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago
[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

but you have to ask elsewho

[-] loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

I'm not usually for going against the natural evolution of language, but I'd like to see these words return elsewhy.

[-] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 15 points 1 month ago

It seems that elsewhen, and a lot of other variations - used to be used, but fell out of fashion. There is some discussion here.

[-] loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago

Cool, thank you! I find it's a shame these words went out of use, like found out about the words "whence", "whither", "thence" and "thither", I feel using them would rid many sentences of superfluous words. But I'm sure if I did, I'd sound pretentious at best or be misunderstood at worst.

[-] sudo42@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

Don’t ask. Just start using it. If others like it and it catches on, eventually it will be put in the OED.

There wasn’t a language conference that ok’d ‘skibidy toilet’ before it could be used.

[-] HeckGazer@programming.dev 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Start using them, they might regain momentum.
My favourites are overmorrow and yesternight

[-] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

My daughter used to say, “nextday” for tomorrow, and “nextnextday” for overmorrow.

[-] loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Oh yeah these are cool!

[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago

We do have the word elsewhen, it's just not as commonly used. As for 'someone else', I have nothing.

[-] loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

I found "elsewho" through another comment, it makes sense, I actually hesitated between typing it or "elseone". I chose the latter because you say "someone else" and not "somewho else"; but "who" is closer to "where or "when".

this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2024
27 points (100.0% liked)

English usage and grammar

365 readers
1 users here now

A community to discuss and ask questions about English usage and grammar.

If your post refers to a specific English variant, please indicate it within square brackets (for instance [Canadian]).

Online resources:

Sibling communities:

Rules of conduct:

The usual ones on Lemmy and Mastodon.. In short: be kind or at least respectful, no offensive language, no harassment, no spam.

(Icon: entry "English" in the Oxford English Dictionary, 1933. Banner: page from Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Tale".)

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS