Re: Time in various languages...

On 14 Jan 2006 18:41:48 -0800, "ranjit_mathews@xxxxxxxxx"
<ranjit_mathews@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
<news:1137292907.972022.104490@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
in sci.lang:

> Brian M. Scott wrote:

>> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 13:32:00 +0000, Thomas Widmann
>> <twid@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>> <news:m3fynr2awf.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> in sci.lang:

>>> "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

>>>> Seán O'Leathlóbhair wrote:

>>>>> You probably should have two or more English versions.
>>>>> Common usage differs in the UK and US. 10:30 is
>>>>> commonly "half ten" here in the UK but I believe that
>>>>> is rare in the US.

>>>> Unknown. Whenever a visiting English says it to me, I
>>>> have to ask whether it means 9:30 (halfway to 10) or
>>>> 10:30 (no convincing mnemonic).

>>> Does it mean 9:30 in any variety of English?

>> I don't believe so. Unfortunately. 'Halb zehn' = 9:30
>> makes sense; the English usage is thoroughly unreasonable.

> That can be done in English too: "half of ten"

Not in my experience. Perhaps you're thinking of 'quarter
of ten', which is sometimes used instead of 'quarter to
ten'; I have never heard it extended to 'half', however, in
any variety.

Brian
.

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