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Wholegrain Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
I do not understand this extract
0 FULL EXTRACT 02 br
02 br
00 "To some observers, the singularity, if not lunacy, of the stranger was heightened by his muteness, and, perhaps also, by the contrast to his proceedings afforded in the actions-quite in the wonted and sensible order of things-of the barber of the boat, whose quarters, under a smoking-saloon, and over against a bar-room, was next door but two to the captain's office." 02 br
02 br
00 I don't understand this extract very well: 02 br
02 br
00 "(...)of the barber of the boat, whose quarters, under a smoking-saloon, and over against a bar-room, was next door but two to the captain's office." 02 br
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00 I think he meant: "the barber's quarters is under a smoking-saloon and over and against a bar-room and was three doors away from the captain's office." 02 br
02 br
00 However, I don't understand the reasoning behind such unusual formulations as "over against a bar-room" and "was next door but two". To me, they are not grammatically correct. Can you please tell me exactly from what they derive? 02 br
02 br
00 Can you explain why such constructions, that is, "over against a bar-room" and "was next door but two"? 0-
02 br
00 "To some observers, the singularity, if not lunacy, of the stranger was heightened by his muteness, and, perhaps also, by the contrast to his proceedings afforded in the actions-quite in the wonted and sensible order of things-of the barber of the boat, whose quarters, under a smoking-saloon, and over against a bar-room, was next door but two to the captain's office." 02 br
02 br
00 I don't understand this extract very well: 02 br
02 br
00 "(...)of the barber of the boat, whose quarters, under a smoking-saloon, and over against a bar-room, was next door but two to the captain's office." 02 br
02 br
00 I think he meant: "the barber's quarters is under a smoking-saloon and over and against a bar-room and was three doors away from the captain's office." 02 br
02 br
00 However, I don't understand the reasoning behind such unusual formulations as "over against a bar-room" and "was next door but two". To me, they are not grammatically correct. Can you please tell me exactly from what they derive? 02 br
02 br
00 Can you explain why such constructions, that is, "over against a bar-room" and "was next door but two"? 0-
Top answer
0 So, you're reading something written 02 br 00 by Herman Melville in 1857 02 br 00 and you're surprised things don't conform to current idiom or grammar? 02 br 00 Read on 05 0 010id 1
- 0 So, you're reading something written 02 br 00 by Herman Melville in 1857 02 br 00 and you're surprised things don't conform to current idiom or grammar?
- 02 br 00 Read on 05 0 010id 1
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5 Answers
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0 So, you're reading something written 02 br
00 by Herman Melville in 1857 02 br
00 and you're surprised things don't conform to current idiom or grammar? 02 br
00 Read on 05 0 010id 1
00 by Herman Melville in 1857 02 br
00 and you're surprised things don't conform to current idiom or grammar? 02 br
00 Read on 05 0 010id 1
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0 I want to write just like him. Do you know where I can learn to do that? But before I can use his constructions, I have to understand the reasoning behind it. Can you provide any help? 0-
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0 To me, "over against a bar-room" and "next door but two" are grammatically (or certainly idiomatically) correct and are not notably unusual. 02 br
02 br
00 "over against a bar-room" means "over there (i.e. a little distance away from some notional point of reference), and next to (against) a bar-room". 02 br
02 br
00 "next door but two" means, as you say, "three
02 br
00 "over against a bar-room" means "over there (i.e. a little distance away from some notional point of reference), and next to (against) a bar-room". 02 br
02 br
00 "next door but two" means, as you say, "three
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0 Please, tell me if I am correct. "Over" in this context means: To another often specified place or position? Moreover, is "next door but two" an elliptical form of "next door but two doors away"? Because to me, in order that "next door but two" make sense, we must allow for an ellipsis. 0-
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0 In this context, "over" (in my interpretation) means "situated at another place or position, a little distance away from where the writer's (and reader's) attention is currently focused". It does not need to be "often specified", and there is no real sense of " 01 i 00 to 02 i 00 another place". It's similar to the use of "over" in "Let's go to that shop over there", "He's over
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