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RE: Grammar - Does "either" imply a choice between only two?
Subject:RE: Grammar - Does "either" imply a choice between only two? From:"McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> To:Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>, TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:44:49 -0400
Peter Neilson fretted:
>
> I have always felt it incorrect to say, for example, "either of the
> following eight items" and prefer instead "any one of the following
> eight items." Poking gently about on the internet I've not
> been able to
> find any support for my preference.
>
> Does "either" contain an implied dual number? Or am I right,
> but being
> unnecessarily fussy? Or am I simply wrong?
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You might be wrong, but you are "wrong" in good company:
- mine!
:-)
Either / or = duality.
Any = one or more of many ("many" being more than two).
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