Width and breadth

[NickFitz]

Because it's a stupid language.

Learning French and German you see how much English is a mishmash of the two. I.e. begin vs commence, end vs finish, leave vs depart, firm vs company. Hope is German but the opposite: despair is French.

That's because the English people are a mishmash resulting from multiple waves of immigration. The only native British people are Welsh and Scottish, and have their own languages

[scooterscot]

Because it's a stupid language.

Learning French and German you see how much English is a mishmash of the two. I.e. begin vs commence, end vs finish, leave vs depart, firm vs company. Hope is German but the opposite: despair is French.

The more Deutsch I'm exposed too the more English synonyms I'm confused by. Any attempt to reason the difference and it's Kopfschmerzen zeit.

I'd have a rant about cognates n all, it's like English in a cunning disguise, as Baldrick would say.

[PurpleGorilla]

Width and breadth

What's the difference between the two? I'm trying to explain to a German colleague and failing.

If it was a bridge, then the breadth is the gap/span and the width would be how many lanes you can get in parallel over it.

Use Pegasus bridge as an example ;-)

[VectraMan]

So why does English have two words to explain the same thing?

Because it's a stupid language.

Learning French and German you see how much English is a mishmash of the two. I.e. begin vs commence, end vs finish, leave vs depart, firm vs company. Hope is German but the opposite: despair is French.

[WTFH]

What's the difference between the two? I'm trying to explain to a German colleague and failing.

This won't help:
Wide comes from the old Germanic "Weit"
Broad comes from the old Germanic "Breit"


So, ask your Bavarian friend to explain. Best done over a half dunkel at the Weihenstephan Abbey.

[Ticktock]

Not really!

In 1940s America, females were broads.
In 2010s America, females are wides.

[GlenW]

Also 'minge' and 'gash'

Twat

[stek]

Also 'minge' and 'gash'

[WTFH]

So why does English have two words to explain the same thing?

You mean like "car" and "automobile"?

[stek]

Also 'from whence' makes no sense cos 'whence' means 'from where' so what you are in fact saying is 'from from where'.

[scooterscot]

None.

So why does English have two words to explain the same thing?

While we're at it. What's the difference between perhaps and maybe?

[scooterscot]

Width refers to how wide something is.
Breadth refers to how broad it is.

HTH.

Not really!

[WTFH]

What's the difference between the two? I'm trying to explain to a German colleague and failing.

None.
But if you had said width and depth, then yes the difference is:
Width is going from left to right (or the other way) as you look at it while standing up.
Depth is going away from you (so, near to far) - as used in photography with depth of focus/depth of field.
Height is top to bottom.

[Ticktock]

Width refers to how wide something is.
Breadth refers to how broad it is.

HTH.

[scooterscot]

What's the difference between the two? I'm trying to explain to a German colleague and failing.