Different use of of

Question

Does 'of' function in different ways depending on context?

For example:

1.Challenge of the U.S:
U.S is the challenge.

2. Enemy of the U.S:
Does it mean the U.S is the enemy (as in #1) or U.S's enemy ?

Thanks.

Wilpeter · Accepted Answer

AnonymousDoes 'of' function in different ways depending on context?

Yes.
These are incomplete sentences, making them ambiguous. It would depend who was saying these words.

Anonymous · Answer

wilpeterYes.

Thank you very much for responding and your help!

wilpeterThese are incomplete sentences, making them ambiguous. It would depend who was saying these words.

Yes, they are ambigious. I just wanted to know if you see what I mean.

Here is another example just to confirm, say for headings:

1. The challenge of bone in diabetes. - this indicates that bone is the challenge.
2. The importance of bone in diabetes. - this indicates that bone is importance (same as #1).
3. The enemy of bone in diabetes. - this indicates that bone has an enemy; bone’s enemy (unlike #’s 1 &2)

Do you agree? If so, is it do to the specific words that alter the meaning/function?

Wilpeter · Answer

Do you agree? If so, is it due to the specific words that alter the meaning/function?

Agreed. I see your point, and this is a better illustration. The first two are read as qualities, whereas the third is a handicap.
You might instead have used
1. A person’s height
2. A person’s weight
3. A person’s children
Each shows possession but the third deflects to a detached entity.

Anonymous · Answer

wilpeterAgreed. I see your point, and this is a better illustration. The first two are read as qualities, whereas the third is a handicap.

Great!

wilpeter1. A person’s height2. A person’s weight3. A person’s childrenEach shows possession but the third deflects to a detached entity.

Yes, I can see this here, but I think this is a different distinction than what I am trying to show in my last three examples.

Basically in my first two sentences we can say that 1) bone is the challenge, 2) bone is important, but in the third we can’t say 3) bone is the enemy, but rather it implies that bone has an enemy.

Do you see what I am saying and agree with it?

Wilpeter · Answer

Yes.  My illustration was to confirm your understanding.  Bone has an enemy.  Person has children.

Anonymous · Answer

wilpeterYes. My illustration was to confirm your understanding. Bone has an enemy. Person has children.

Thanks. But here you are giving the same example: 'person has children' and 'bone has an enemy'.

My examples convey 'bone is important' and 'bone has an enemy'.

Do you see that?

Wilpeter · Answer

AnonymousMy examples convey 'bone is important' and 'bone has an enemy'

Yes, but I don’t see them as different.
1. Challenge of the U.S. (USA is the challenge)
2. Enemy of the U.S. (USA has an enemy; the subject is an enemy of the U.S.)
1. The challenge of bone in diabetes (preserving bone is the challenge)
2. The importance of bone in diabetes (having strong bone is the importance)
3. The enemy of bone in diabetes (diabetes is an enemy of bone)
1. A person’s height (height is a positive measurement of a person)
2. A person’s weight (weight is another measurement of a person)
3. A person’s children (children are separate people, perhaps a burden to a person)

Keeping in mind that these are just titles without clarification of the intent of the topic, they express the fact that “of” can refer to positive or negative qualities.

Different use of of

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