Different from; different to

[Mike Spencer]

...neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his wife.

I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.

I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.

How is it that "different to" has become commonplace? Is there a
known source for this? Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

[LionelEdwards]

....neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his
wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace? Is there a
known source for this? Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

Yes. You missed out "different than" which also has
extensive support.

[Mike Spencer]

Post by LionelEdwards

....neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his
wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.

Yes. You missed out "different than" which also has
extensive support.

Yeah, I've seen that but much less frequently. Grates on my ear equally.

Tnx all for enlightenment.

[LionelEdwards]

....neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his
wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace? Is there a
known source for this? Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

Quoting Fowler:

different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

(a) History. The OED lists examples of
each of the three constructions from
the dates indicated: different from 1590,
different to 1526, different than 1644. In
the 20C. a marked preference for different
from has been shown in BrE; in the same
period different than has flourished in
AmE, but so too has different from...

<https://alexandriaesl.pbworks.com/f/The+New+Fowler%27s+Modern+English+Usage.pdf>

[Steve Hayes]

Post by LionelEdwards

....neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his
wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace? Is there a
known source for this? Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I agree with that.

I generally usw "different from", but there are circmstances when I
use "different to" or "different than", but I cannot name the criteria
I use, nor can I think of any examples. I just know it when I see it.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by LionelEdwards

....neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his
wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B.  A is distinct from B.  You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace?    Is there a
known source for this?  Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.
(a) History. The OED lists examples of
each of the three constructions from
the dates indicated: different from 1590,
different to 1526, different than 1644. In
the 20C. a marked preference for different
from has been shown in BrE; in the same
period different than has flourished in
AmE, but so too has different from...
<https://alexandriaesl.pbworks.com/f/
The+New+Fowler%27s+Modern+English+Usage.pdf>

Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

The shift from "Bored with" to "Bored of" seems (to me) to follow a
similar pattern.

[Peter Moylan]

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

[Hibou]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

I tried reading 'Bored of the Rings' many moons ago, but gave up on it.
I can't quite remember why. It may have bored me, or perhaps it was
because I rarely like parodies. I've read 'Lord of the Rings' a couple
of times (which does have its longueurs, it's true).

[jerryfriedman]

Post by Hibou

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

I tried reading 'Bored of the Rings' many moons ago, but gave up on it.
I can't quite remember why.

For quite a long period in my youth I would
have told you it was the funniest book I'd
ever read. I don't know how it would hold
up for me now. I do still enjoy quoting some
lines from it with people who will recognize
them. "The knob!"

Post by Hibou
It may have bored me, or perhaps it was
because I rarely like parodies.

..

That wouldn't help.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Steve Hayes]

On Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:47:58 +0100, Hibou

Post by Hibou

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

I tried reading 'Bored of the Rings' many moons ago, but gave up on it.
I can't quite remember why. It may have bored me, or perhaps it was
because I rarely like parodies. I've read 'Lord of the Rings' a couple
of times (which does have its longueurs, it's true).

I likewise did not finish it.

On the other hand, I thought "The de Villiers Code" (send-up of "The
da Vinci Code" was better than the original.

[lar3ryca]

Post by Steve Hayes
On Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:47:58 +0100, Hibou

Post by Hibou

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

I tried reading 'Bored of the Rings' many moons ago, but gave up on it.
I can't quite remember why. It may have bored me, or perhaps it was
because I rarely like parodies. I've read 'Lord of the Rings' a couple
of times (which does have its longueurs, it's true).

I likewise did not finish it.
On the other hand, I thought "The de Villiers Code" (send-up of "The
da Vinci Code" was better than the original.

It would have to be.

[lar3ryca]

Post by Steve Hayes
On Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:47:58 +0100, Hibou

Post by Hibou

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?

I have a book somewhere in the house entitled "Bored of the Rings".

I tried reading 'Bored of the Rings' many moons ago, but gave up on it.
I can't quite remember why. It may have bored me, or perhaps it was
because I rarely like parodies. I've read 'Lord of the Rings' a couple
of times (which does have its longueurs, it's true).

I likewise did not finish it.
On the other hand, I thought "The de Villiers Code" (send-up of "The
da Vinci Code" was better than the original.

It would have to be.

[Madhu]

Post by Steve Hayes
I likewise did not finish it.

[I read more than half of it, but none of the original]

Post by Steve Hayes
On the other hand, I thought "The de Villiers Code" (send-up of "The
da Vinci Code" was better than the original.

The only writing I sampled (on an aue recommendation, unfortunately) was
/The Lost Symbol/ and I didn't think it could possibly be parodied.

it reminds me of a comment I came across

"I have consistently been impressed by their level of grotesque
humor. Sometimes this is quite crude, as in scatological humor,
but other times it appears embedded in the simple outrageousness
of the language. It has occurred to me, for example, that there
could be no possible parody of siddha literature. Parody
requires that the sociocultural register be reified and extended
beyond the boundaries of the consistent message of the genre,
whether in the case of sacred literature or poor fiction.
However, there are simply no boundaries beyond which siddha
literature"

-- Ronald M Davidson (/Indian Esoteric Buddhism/,
Columbia Univ.Pr. 2002)

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Sam Plusnet
Does Fowler offer an opinion on "I'm bored of this."?
The shift from "Bored with" to "Bored of" seems (to me) to follow a
similar pattern.

I haven't checked Fowler but I once new a child (long since grown up)
who said "I'm cross of you" rather than "I'm cross with you". Perhaps
it was that generation - she must have been born about 1964/65.

[Steve Hayes]

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls

exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

[Snidely]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

-d

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

No idea -- the polling mechanism is too crude to show that.

[Snidely]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

No idea -- the polling mechanism is too crude to show that.

As discussed in this group before, it can make a difference as to
preference.

Also, what is the "context" entry?

/dps

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

No idea -- the polling mechanism is too crude to show that.

As discussed in this group before, it can make a difference as to
preference.
Also, what is the "context" entry?

Your usage of "different from", "different to" and "different than"
dfepends on the context, so you don't use one of them exclusively.

[Snidely]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

No idea -- the polling mechanism is too crude to show that.

As discussed in this group before, it can make a difference as to
preference.
Also, what is the "context" entry?

Your usage of "different from", "different to" and "different than"
dfepends on the context, so you don't use one of them exclusively.

Ah. I had glimmer of a thought that it might be something like that,
but could not sustain that thread without more information.

/dps

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Snidely

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by LionelEdwards
different. 1 The commonly expressed
view that different should only be followed
by from and never by to or than is
not supportable in the face of past and
present evidence or of logic, though the
distribution of the constructions is not
straightforward.

I ran a couple of polls
exTwitter Mastodon
from 35.7% 39%
to 7.1% 5%
than 21.4% 16%
context 35.7% 40%

What's the geographical distribution of the answerers?

No idea -- the polling mechanism is too crude to show that.

As discussed in this group before, it can make a difference as to
preference.
Also, what is the "context" entry?

Your usage of "different from", "different to" and "different than"
dfepends on the context, so you don't use one of them exclusively.

Ah. I had glimmer of a thought that it might be something like that,
but could not sustain that thread without more information.

I think it was mentioned upthread.

[Stefan Ram]

Post by Mike Spencer
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace?

It's more of a thing in England than in the Golden State,
and you can't pin it on any one source.

Sometimes you might come across "different than" too. Take,
"I was a very different man in 1935 from what I was in 1916".
Some folks reckon, "I was a very different man in 1935 than
in 1916." is just a way to cut to the chase. That's why other
prepositions can fly sometimes. Prescriptivists don't dig it
'cause the verb "differ" doesn't jive with "than", so they
slap the same rule on the adjective "different".

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by Mike Spencer
...neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace?

It may be contamination from "compared to". Small words have a tendency
to pop up in many places these days where they have no purpose - in
Danish at least.

[lar3ryca]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by Mike Spencer
...neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace?

It may be contamination from "compared to". Small words have a tendency
to pop up in many places these days where they have no purpose - in
Danish at least.

The one that drives me batty is "between 5 to 10".

[lar3ryca]

Post by lar3ryca

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by Mike Spencer
...neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B.  A is distinct from B.  You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace?

It may be contamination from "compared to". Small words have a tendency
to pop up in many places these days where they have no purpose - in
Danish at least.

The one that drives me batty is "between 5 to 10".

Just remembered another one.

A lot of newsies are now using the phrase "in connection to",
instead of "in connection with".

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by lar3ryca
The one that drives me batty is "between 5 to 10".

That's bad. A variation: from (or between) 10 - 16.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by lar3ryca
The one that drives me batty is "between 5 to 10".

It would drive me batty if I saw it, but I don't think I do.

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen
That's bad. A variation: from (or between) 10 - 16.

Yes. I dislike that a lot.

[lar3ryca]

Post by Athel Cornish-Bowden

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by lar3ryca
The one that drives me batty is "between 5 to 10".

It would drive me batty if I saw it, but I don't think I do.

I can't recall seeing it, but I hear it a LOT on radio and the telly.

Post by Athel Cornish-Bowden

Post by Bertel Lund Hansen
That's bad. A variation: from (or between) 10 - 16.

Yes. I dislike that a lot.

[Rich Ulrich]

On 22 Sep 2024 18:15:39 -0300, Mike Spencer

Post by Mike Spencer
...neuroscientist realized he saw green and blue differently to his wife.
I keep seeing 'A is different to B" and similar constructions.
I think A differs from B. A is distinct from B. You can distinguish
one thing from another, etc.
How is it that "different to" has become commonplace? Is there a
known source for this? Is there extensive support for this usage
among language-aware people?

I've seldom noticed "different to" and so I am surprised at these
results: ngrams show, for GB, it is twice as frequent as "different
than" -- whereas "than" is 4 times more frequent in AmE.

0.003% is what "different from" comes to, which is 10+ times
as frequent as either of "than" or "to".