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Usenet Posted 17 years ago
Usage
Mauritius/the Mauritius
Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian
Throughout the above novel the name "Mauritius" is used both with and without the definite article. For example:
"to undertake the reduction of the
French possessions of the Ile Bourbon, otherwise Ile de la Reunion, otherwise Ile Buonaparte, and of the Mauritius, otherwise Ile de France,"
"Nor can I speak to
what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"
In the majority of cases the article is not used, but on many occasions it is present, and I cannot see a pattern to formulate a regulation, nor can I discover it on Google.
I was thinking it may be an antique usage, perhaps a direct translation from the French "L'Ile Maurice" - "the Mauritius Island" ; but in the dialogues, both forms are used, and, to my non-native eye, it is most in the dialogues that O'Brian seems to preserve the 18th/19th century idiom.
Is there a rule that treats of this usage or is it a device of style that he has invented?
Thankyou
Throughout the above novel the name "Mauritius" is used both with and without the definite article. For example:
"to undertake the reduction of the
French possessions of the Ile Bourbon, otherwise Ile de la Reunion, otherwise Ile Buonaparte, and of the Mauritius, otherwise Ile de France,"
"Nor can I speak to
what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"
In the majority of cases the article is not used, but on many occasions it is present, and I cannot see a pattern to formulate a regulation, nor can I discover it on Google.
I was thinking it may be an antique usage, perhaps a direct translation from the French "L'Ile Maurice" - "the Mauritius Island" ; but in the dialogues, both forms are used, and, to my non-native eye, it is most in the dialogues that O'Brian seems to preserve the 18th/19th century idiom.
Is there a rule that treats of this usage or is it a device of style that he has invented?
Thankyou
Top answer
[nq:1]Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Throughout the above novel the name "Mauritius" is used both with and without ... Mauritius*, otherwise Ile de France," "Nor can I speak to what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"[/nq] We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.
- [nq:1]Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Throughout the above novel the name "Mauritius" is used both with and without ...
- Mauritius*, otherwise Ile de France," "Nor can I speak to what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"[/nq] We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory.
- Consider (the) Ukraine.
- [nq:1]Thankyou[/nq] Please don't omit the space.
- It feels like fingernails on a chalkboard.
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25 Answers
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[nq:1]Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Throughout the above novel the name "Mauritius" is used both with and without ... Mauritius*, otherwise Ile de France," "Nor can I speak to what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"[/nq]
We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.
[nq:1]Thankyou[/nq]
We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.
[nq:1]Thankyou[/nq]
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[nq:2]Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Throughout the above ... what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"[/nq]
[nq:1]We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.[/nq]
And The Argentine, The Gambia, The Sudan.
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:
[nq:1]We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.[/nq]
And The Argentine, The Gambia, The Sudan.
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:
00
[nq:2]Thankyou[/nq]
[nq:1]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?
[nq:1]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?
00
[nq:1]And The Argentine[/nq]
But I do not think that "Argentine" is ever said without the article is it, as in the other examples? In that case I believe that it would be just "Argentina" (although, indeed, we use the article in original Spanish: "la Argentina".)
But I do not think that "Argentine" is ever said without the article is it, as in the other examples? In that case I believe that it would be just "Argentina" (although, indeed, we use the article in original Spanish: "la Argentina".)
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[nq:2]And The Argentine[/nq]
[nq:1]But I do not think that "Argentine" is ever said without the article is it, as in the other examples? In that case I believe that it would be just "Argentina" (although, indeed, we use the article in original Spanish: "la Argentina".)[/nq]
I don't think 'The Argentine" is currently used in English, but I'm sure it was used not all that long ago - that is,
[nq:1]But I do not think that "Argentine" is ever said without the article is it, as in the other examples? In that case I believe that it would be just "Argentina" (although, indeed, we use the article in original Spanish: "la Argentina".)[/nq]
I don't think 'The Argentine" is currently used in English, but I'm sure it was used not all that long ago - that is,
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[nq:1]"Peter Moylan" wrote in message[/nq]
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
Two separate words (a verb and a pronoun) in general, but the hyphenated form for modifying a noun:
Th
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
Two separate words (a verb and a pronoun) in general, but the hyphenated form for modifying a noun:
Th
00
[nq:1]"Peter Moylan" wrote in message[/nq]
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
For the noun or adjective, I would write "thank-you". For example, "a thank-you note". This is consistent
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
For the noun or adjective, I would write "thank-you". For example, "a thank-you note". This is consistent
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[nq:1]"Peter Moylan" wrote in message[/nq]
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
No, it is not correct. Not in any circumstances. It is always written "thank you".
Tony Cooper -
[nq:2]Please don't omit the space. It feels like fingernails on a >chalkboard.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because it is a verbal usage, a truncated version of "I thank you"? My mistake. But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an adjective?[/nq]
No, it is not correct. Not in any circumstances. It is always written "thank you".
Tony Cooper -
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(>>But "thankyou" would be correct as a noun? Or an >>adjective?)
[nq:1]No, it is not correct. Not in any circumstances. It is always written "thank you".[/nq]
[nq:1]No. Thankyou doesn't exist.[/nq]
Thank you for your replies, but I am a little puzzled by them. According to the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, "thankyou: 1. an utterance of 'thank you'. 2. an instance of th
[nq:1]No, it is not correct. Not in any circumstances. It is always written "thank you".[/nq]
[nq:1]No. Thankyou doesn't exist.[/nq]
Thank you for your replies, but I am a little puzzled by them. According to the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, "thankyou: 1. an utterance of 'thank you'. 2. an instance of th
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[nq:2]Re: The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Throughout the above ... what Decaen may have had in Mauritius before this reinforcement"[/nq]
[nq:1]We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.[/nq]
Not to mention Lebanon.
** DAVE HATUNEN (Email Removed) ** * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & m
[nq:1]We still do this for place names which have lost an article in living memory. Consider (the) Ukraine.[/nq]
Not to mention Lebanon.
** DAVE HATUNEN (Email Removed) ** * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & m
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