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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Request for information of the word "heaven" versus "the heavens"
Hi All,
According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "heaven" is defined as follows:
"in some religions, the place, sometimes imagined to be in the sky, where God or the gods live and where good people are believed to go after they die, so that they can enjoy perfect happiness"
However, there is a plural form "the heavens" defined as follows:
plural noun
"the sky"
I have the following questions, which I hope you can assist me:
(1) What is the main difference between "heaven" and "the heavens"? (2) Is the usage of "the heavens" current? or is this usage only common in Commonwealth countries or in literary or mythological works? (3) How should this phrase "the heavens" be used? (4) Is the usage "the heavens" appropriate?
Thank you in advance for your input
Best Regards
Shirley
According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "heaven" is defined as follows:
"in some religions, the place, sometimes imagined to be in the sky, where God or the gods live and where good people are believed to go after they die, so that they can enjoy perfect happiness"
However, there is a plural form "the heavens" defined as follows:
plural noun
"the sky"
I have the following questions, which I hope you can assist me:
(1) What is the main difference between "heaven" and "the heavens"? (2) Is the usage of "the heavens" current? or is this usage only common in Commonwealth countries or in literary or mythological works? (3) How should this phrase "the heavens" be used? (4) Is the usage "the heavens" appropriate?
Thank you in advance for your input
Best Regards
Shirley
Top answer
[nq:1]Hi All, According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "heaven" is defined as follows: "in some religions, the ... [/nq] That which you give above is accurate. "The heavens" is typically used to mean "the sky" in a sort of broad sense (encompassing the pre-astronomic counterpart to the notion of outer space, as visible to the earthly observer).
- [nq:1]Hi All, According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "heaven" is defined as follows: "in some religions, the ...
- [/nq] That which you give above is accurate.
- "The heavens" is typically used to mean "the sky" in a sort of broad sense (encompassing the pre-astronomic counterpart to the notion of outer space, as visible to the earthly observer).
- It's like "the firmament".
- [nq:1](2) Is the usage of "the heavens" current?
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21 Answers
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[nq:1]Hi All, According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the word "heaven" is defined as follows: "in some religions, the ... following questions, which I hope you can assist me: (1) What is the main difference between "heaven" and "the heavens"?[/nq]
That which you give above is accurate. "The heavens" is typically used to mean "the sky" in a sort of broad sense (encompassing t
That which you give above is accurate. "The heavens" is typically used to mean "the sky" in a sort of broad sense (encompassing t
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Areff had it:
We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.
David
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replace usenet with the
We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.
David
==
replace usenet with the
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[nq:1](1) What is the main difference between "heaven" and "the heavens"? (2) Is the usage of "the heavens" current? or ... literary or mythological works? (3) How should this phrase "the heavens" be used? (4) Is the usage "the heavens" appropriate?[/nq]
English has no a priori rules that dictate uniformity or correct usage. It has preferences derived from frequency (past and present patterns
English has no a priori rules that dictate uniformity or correct usage. It has preferences derived from frequency (past and present patterns
00
[nq:1]Areff had it:[/nq]
[nq:2] I don't know from Commonwealth countries, but "the heavens" istoday restricted to poetic, oratorical, literary, mythological, and faux-archaic works, yes.[/nq]
[nq:1]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
As a child I was given an astronomy book called T
[nq:2] I don't know from Commonwealth countries, but "the heavens" istoday restricted to poetic, oratorical, literary, mythological, and faux-archaic works, yes.[/nq]
[nq:1]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
As a child I was given an astronomy book called T
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Mike Lyle turpitued:
[nq:1](By the way, Celery, other readers may disagree with me, but I'd never say "Thank you for your input" except ... foreign friends use it after enquiries to AUE: I think "input" is a piece of jargon which has unfortunately escaped.)[/nq]
The horse has well and truly bolted. I often see sentences like "I'd appreciate your input on this problem", and not only from no
[nq:1](By the way, Celery, other readers may disagree with me, but I'd never say "Thank you for your input" except ... foreign friends use it after enquiries to AUE: I think "input" is a piece of jargon which has unfortunately escaped.)[/nq]
The horse has well and truly bolted. I often see sentences like "I'd appreciate your input on this problem", and not only from no
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[nq:1]An important general characteristic of English is that the language is not driven by "economy," i.e. has no internal drive ... many notionally redundant words. (In the long run, words that go unused for long simply vanish from the current language.)[/nq]
Whilst this is very true, I read a comment somewhere over the weekend - - Guardian books section, probably along th
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[nq:1]Areff had it:[/nq]
[nq:2]That which you give above is accurate. "The heavens" is ... restricted to poetic, oratorical, literary, mythological, and faux-archaic works, yes.[/nq]
[nq:1]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heaven
[nq:2]That which you give above is accurate. "The heavens" is ... restricted to poetic, oratorical, literary, mythological, and faux-archaic works, yes.[/nq]
[nq:1]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens opened", which means that it rained very heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heaven
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[nq:2]Areff had it:[/nq]
snip
[nq:2]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens ... heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
[nq:1]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning?
Like David, "the heavens opened" is the only current one whi
[nq:2]We have a set phrase in the UK: "the heavens ... heavily. I can't think of any other modern usage.[/nq]
[nq:1]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning?
Like David, "the heavens opened" is the only current one whi
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[nq:1]On 07 Mar 2005, John O'Flaherty wrote[/nq]
[nq:1]snip[/nq]
[nq:2]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
[nq:1]Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning?[/nq]
Yes, but they're uses of 'heavens' (except maybe the last one) that aren't poetic, literary, mythological or faux-archaic.
[
[nq:1]
[nq:2]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
[nq:1]Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning?[/nq]
Yes, but they're uses of 'heavens' (except maybe the last one) that aren't poetic, literary, mythological or faux-archaic.
[
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[nq:1]On 07 Mar 2005, John O'Flaherty wrote[/nq]
[nq:1]snip[/nq]
[nq:2]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
[nq:1]Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning? Like David, "the heavens opened" is the only current one which springs to my mind with the "sky" meaning.[/nq]
I think it would rare
[nq:1]
[nq:2]Heavens to Betsy & Murgatroid, heavens above, thank heavens, for heavens's sake![/nq]
[nq:1]Don't all of those, though, have the "heaven-with-harps-and-haloes" meaning? Like David, "the heavens opened" is the only current one which springs to my mind with the "sky" meaning.[/nq]
I think it would rare
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