2 ms·

The distinction between the use of "ago" and compositional words that this text makes doesn't make much sense to me, but I do find the lack of a common word for

The distinction between the use of "ago" and compositional words that this text makes doesn't make much sense to me, but I do find the lack of a common word for "the day before yesterday" and "the day after tomorrow" quite jarring when my native language has a common word for it. Ereyesterday and overmorrow are perfect equivalents found in some dictionaries, but they're not exactly common.

Quekid5 2y ago
Yesteryear is also one I've actually heard used. (But again, not exactly common.)
- OJFord 2y ago
  For abstract times gone by though right? I've never heard it used to mean specifically 'last year'. (And in fact typically much more than just one year ago, not including it.)
  - Kye 2y ago
    I stopped making assumptions about what terms people see as abstract and which they see as concrete when I found out not everyone understands a few as three. https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/couple-few-several-use https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/couple-few-several-u... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37722244 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37722244
    - OJFord 2y ago
      Not exactly three though, just not less. If I send you to the shop for a few beers, you've got to return with a concrete number. Maybe 4 cans, because that's how they're sold, or maybe 3 bottles because there was a 3 for £5 deal. Or maybe you come back with a whole case because it caught your eye, and I say Woah hey you got several!
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
    - bubblyworld 2y ago
      I daresay the statistics still favour one side or the other though for most words, even if it's not a whitewash (I also view yesteryear as an abstract time in the past, for instance).
flohofwoe 2y ago
Theoretically, in German you can stack the prefix, but it's also not exactly common (everybody would know what you mean though). Vorvorgestern... would be the day before the day before yesterday. Überübermorgen... the day after the day after tomorrow. Instead you'd simply say the German equivalent of '3 days ago', or 'in 3 days'. The simple vorgestern and übermorgen are absolutely in common use though.

Quekid5 2y ago

Yesteryear is also one I've actually heard used. (But again, not exactly common.)

OJFord 2y ago
For abstract times gone by though right? I've never heard it used to mean specifically 'last year'. (And in fact typically much more than just one year ago, not including it.)
- Kye 2y ago
  I stopped making assumptions about what terms people see as abstract and which they see as concrete when I found out not everyone understands a few as three. https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/couple-few-several-use https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/couple-few-several-u... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37722244 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37722244
  - OJFord 2y ago
    Not exactly three though, just not less. If I send you to the shop for a few beers, you've got to return with a concrete number. Maybe 4 cans, because that's how they're sold, or maybe 3 bottles because there was a 3 for £5 deal. Or maybe you come back with a whole case because it caught your eye, and I say Woah hey you got several!
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  - bubblyworld 2y ago
    I daresay the statistics still favour one side or the other though for most words, even if it's not a whitewash (I also view yesteryear as an abstract time in the past, for instance).

flohofwoe 2y ago

Theoretically, in German you can stack the prefix, but it's also not exactly common (everybody would know what you mean though). Vorvorgestern... would be the day before the day before yesterday. Überübermorgen... the day after the day after tomorrow. Instead you'd simply say the German equivalent of '3 days ago', or 'in 3 days'. The simple vorgestern and übermorgen are absolutely in common use though.