This is topic English vocabulary in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
 
Just a question about english vocabulary for my job.

Do you use and understand the latin initials i.e. ? And if you don't, somebody can tell me what is used ?
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
Yes, we use i.e.
 

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Posted by Swede (Member # 7560) on :
 
Forgive me for asking, but what does i.e. mean?
(blames Swedish school system for not knowing)
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
It stands for the Latin "id est" and is usually translated into English as "that is" or "that is to say."
 

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Posted by Swede (Member # 7560) on :
 
Thanks Megan!
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
No problem.
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
Common usage problem with "i.e.": It is often used incorrectly instead of "for example" or "e.g."

[ April 04, 2005, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]
 

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Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
 
Thank you, Megan, for this pretty and quickly information.

You are wonderful !
 

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Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
 
I always misuse i.e. and e.g., but I figure that's excusable, since Latin is not my first language.
 

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Posted by Swede (Member # 7560) on :
 
*writing in notebook*
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
No problem again!

I find that remembering what e.g. stands for (exempli gratia--sure I spelled that wrong!) helps me a lot. Exempli = example = for example.
 

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Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
 

quote:

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I always misuse i.e. and e.g., but I figure that's excusable, since Latin is not my first language.

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quote:

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I find that remembering what e.g. stands for ... helps me a lot. Exempli = example = for example.

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But this only helps if you actually know the latin phrases. If I were to try to remember which one was which, I can see myself going "i.e. -- in exempli -- for example!"
 

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Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
 
I humbly propose that anyone who can't keep them straight simply refrains from using them. Since most of our sentences are not in Latin, there's no reason we shouldn't all be saying "that is" and "for example" anyway.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
 
That ain't cool, AntiCool.

I always remembered after the second time told...
 

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Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :
 
Go Firefox.
 

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Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
 
In 1493, Columbus sailed the deep blue sea.
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
Evil, evil!

Eight times eight fell down and shattered
Sixty-nine on the floor was splattered.
 

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Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
 
I swim on the fog ! All the last post here are incredibly obscur... Especially Christopher Colombus and the devil...
 

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Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
 
They're just messing with common ways to remember things Choo... ignore them.

quote:

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stands for the Latin "id est" and is usually translated into English as "that is" or "that is to say."

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quote:

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Common usage problem with "i.e.": It is often used incorrectly instead of "for example" or "e.g."

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I do that!

Okay, so I'm wicked dumb, but I can think of several examples of where "that is to say" and "for example" could be interchangable... Can I have an example of proper usage?
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
I might publish a monograph, i.e. a book.

I might read types of writing, e.g. a book, a magazine, or a newspaper.

i.e. provides an opportunity for restatement of what you just said. i.e. is for clarification of a concept.

e.g. provides an opportunity to list examples of the thing you just said. e.g. is for giving examples of a thing or concept.
 

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Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
 
Megan

thanks!
 

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