Re: Chinese-style measure words in English?

From: Lee Sau Dan (danlee_at_informatik.uni-freiburg.de)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: 30 Dec 2004 10:09:53 +0800

>>>>> "Stewart" == Stewart Gordon <smjg_1998@yahoo.com> writes:

    Stewart> But that's before you consider other plural nouns like
    Stewart> "police" and "staff". Of course, those like "trousers"
    Stewart> are different again -

I'm curious. When would "one trouser" or "one scissor" be useful?
How come English make it this way? It looks so ridiculous that you
MUST say "a pair of trousers" and "a pair of scissors", which are so
clumsy. (Is it why people like to say "pant" now? I guess "pant" is
related to French "pantalon"?)

    Stewart> maybe this is one instance in which "pair" really is a
    Stewart> measure word?

Why could it be otherwise? 

-- 
Lee Sau Dan                     §õ¦u´°                          ~{@nJX6X~}
E-mail: danlee@informatik.uni-freiburg.de
Home page: http://www.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/~danlee

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Walking trousers
    ... trousers rather than breeks and though the fabric is called ... "Multiflex" still, it's lighter than the original), ME Mountain Stretch ... Pant, Rab Treklite pant, Patagonia Guide Pant would be some (but by no ...
    (uk.rec.walking)
  • Re: Help for JustJames
    ... There's a place in Wales called Pant. ... Y Pant, which is what I think you mean. ... That's a good honest English town. ... Offa, bless his soul, built a dyke ...
    (uk.education.staffroom)
  • Re: Chinese-style measure words in English?
    ... Trousers used to be two separate pieces of garment. ... I guess "pant" is ...
    (sci.lang)