[lit-ideas] Re: Quick German Question (Vermutlich und Wahrscheinlich) [part II]
- From: "Erin Holder" <erin.holder@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 00:45:43 -0500
Well, maybe the point is that I can use whatever word I want wherever I
want, but that would make the entire assignment pointless. Come to think of
it, maybe that's the point. That would be mean. But funny. But mean.
Erin
TO
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2004 12:35 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Quick German Question (Vermutlich und
Wahrscheinlich) [part II]
> that's why they're asking you that dumb question about the two words. both
words are so
> similar. i can't think of a sentence (or situation) in which one would
clearly say one, but
> never the other. it just feels to me that wahrscheinlich is about things
one can see, and
> vermutlich is about things that one talks about.
>
> there's "approximately", which means both "precisely" and "loosely". "the
mountain lion is
> approximately three meters from Robert." is that precisely 300
centimeters? or 2.91 meters?
> i suppose German students are tortured with that word.
>
> yrs,
> andreas
> www.andreas.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Erin Holder" <erin.holder@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 9:24 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Quick German Question (Vermutlich und
Wahrscheinlich) [part II]
>
>
> >> if i think of situations, i'd use wahrscheinlich if it's something that
> > one can see.
> >> wahrscheinlich, that's a mountain lion in that tree.
> >>
> >> i'd use vermutlich if i'm talking about a situation. vermutlich, Robert
is
> > just copying
> >> stuff from the web.
> >
> > I understand what you're getting at but I still don't see the
distinction.
> > So the former is for things you can see and the latter is for
situations,
> > but can't you also see situations - e.g. isn't the mountain lion stuck
in
> > the tree a situation? Or are the two just used differently depending on
> > whether one can see the situation or not - e.g. one would use
> > 'wahrscheinlich' if it was a situation one could see (in which case I'm
> > guessing it would be rarely used) and then 'vermutlich' if it were a
> > situation one could not see? That seems almost crazy. But okay, It's
5am.
> > I have patience. Really, I do.
> >
> > Erin
> >
> >
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