Re: English usage: to "subscribe" to a course?

[Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>]

Yves Barbion wrote:
> Hi techwhirlers,
> 
> when I review English documents written by Dutch authors, I often see the
> phrase "to subscribe to a course" in the meaning of "to register for/to sign
> up for a course". In my opinion (but I'm not an English native speaker) you
> "subscribe to a magazine/newspaper, or to an organization, for example an
> environmental action group. 

I think American English agrees with you. But if you look in the 
dictionary (m-w.com, for example), the first few definitions stop just 
short of 'sign up'--if you subscribe to a course, you assent or sign 
your name to signify consent, to an obligation. Anyway, I think we 
usually say 'sign up for a course' or 'register for a course'

I also have the feeling that "to subscribe to a
> course" is a "false friend" (from the Dutch "zich inschrijven voor een
> cursus").

Could you give a literal translation? I'm not catching on to the "false 
friend" as subscriber.

Thanks,

Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
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