[mea] Re: each other / one another
- From: "Frazer, Cheri" <Cheri.Frazer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <mea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 10:15:01 -0500
Hi, Marilyn.
I tend to make the change but I don't defend it as THE correct usage. It
just sounds right to my ear most of the time.
_The New Fowler's Modern English Usage_ says, "A belief that *each other*
properly refers to two people and *one another* to more than two is
reflected in many contexts [examples follow] . . . but the belief is
untenable, as can be seen from the following departures from the
'rule':[more examples follow] . . ."
Hope that helps,
Cheri
-----Original Message-----
From: Marilyn Morton [mailto:mortzim@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 3:09 PM
To: listserv MEA
Subject: [mea] each other / one another
Hi, fellow MEA members.
I'm curious to know whether the rest of you differentiate between "each
other" and "one another" when you're editing. As you might know, some
sources, such as the Gage Canadian Dictionary and the guide Woe Is I, say
it's proper to use "each other" when referring to two people and "one
another" when referring to more than two. (Paul and David dislike each
other. The members of the department gave gifts to one another.) When you're
editing a text where the author has used the two terms interchangeably, do
you change them to conform to this rule? Maybe your decision depends on the
formality of the document?
Just curious. Thanks!
Marilyn
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