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SuperESL Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Nonsense
Hello,
I have come across the following usage of the word 'nonsense' in a Guardian article recently:
"Green politics are sometimes described as unconcerned with 'real-world' problems of poverty and hunger: the lynx and the blue whale are loved over the starving child. The MEA report proves the nonsense of such a description. It shows the deep interconnection of environmental and human well-being."
My understanding is the author intended 'nonsense' to mean "nonsensicalness" or "nonsensicality“ here. I expect most people would find this sentence pretty straightforward.
My question is whether 'nonsense' can really be used interchangerably in this way in the place of those two words, strictly speaking? My feeling is that you use 'nonsense' to refer to the actual foolish things that you say (e.g. "you are talking nonsense). But can the word also refer to the 'nonsensicalness' of the nonsense that one puts out (e.g.'the nonsense of the nonsense that you are speaking is unprecedented')?
Thank you.
I have come across the following usage of the word 'nonsense' in a Guardian article recently:
"Green politics are sometimes described as unconcerned with 'real-world' problems of poverty and hunger: the lynx and the blue whale are loved over the starving child. The MEA report proves the nonsense of such a description. It shows the deep interconnection of environmental and human well-being."
My understanding is the author intended 'nonsense' to mean "nonsensicalness" or "nonsensicality“ here. I expect most people would find this sentence pretty straightforward.
My question is whether 'nonsense' can really be used interchangerably in this way in the place of those two words, strictly speaking? My feeling is that you use 'nonsense' to refer to the actual foolish things that you say (e.g. "you are talking nonsense). But can the word also refer to the 'nonsensicalness' of the nonsense that one puts out (e.g.'the nonsense of the nonsense that you are speaking is unprecedented')?
Thank you.
Top answer
I think your point is probably well-taken, but that most people, as you say, would have no trouble understanding. Clive
- I think your point is probably well-taken, but that most people, as you say, would have no trouble understanding.
- Clive
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4 Answers
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I think your point is probably well-taken, but that most people, as you say, would have no trouble understanding.
Clive
Clive
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SuperESLMy understanding is the author intended 'nonsense' to mean "nonsensicalness" or "nonsensicality“ here. I expect most people would find this sentence pretty straightforward.Yes, it is straightforward.
The three are synonyms. The major difference is that nonsense is a non-count noun, and nonsensicality can be a count noun.
A count
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British English is reasonably happy with 'a nonsense'. There are 117 citations in the BNC.
Americans appear to be less happy - there are only 36 citations in the much larger COCA.
Americans appear to be less happy - there are only 36 citations in the much larger COCA.
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