erratio: (Default)
erratio ([personal profile] erratio) wrote2008-05-01 11:05 am

Dictionary absurdities

Nevertheless (adv.): Notwithstanding; despite that; nonetheless; all the same.

Nonetheless (adv.): Nevertheless


This is from the Oxford, of all places. Go circularity in definitions!

EDIT: Also I forgot to mention how frustrating this entire class of expressions are. I looked it up because one of my Indian coworkers wanted to know what "nevertheless" meant, and it's so difficult to explain that I felt the need to look it up. Seems like the OED also finds it pretty darn difficult to explain, seeing as all but one of the definitions just point to other equally idiomatic expressions that shed no further light on the subject.

(Anonymous) 2008-05-01 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
That's awesome! The Oxford American Dictionary does the same thing, but with "nevertheless" and "notwithstanding", funnily enough. My favourite dictionary botch-up is in the Macquarie English Dictionary, under "cornucopia". Apparantly it is a mythical horn of plenty, shaped like this:

... well, it's a pity they didn't put in any illustrations.

Um ...

(Anonymous) 2008-05-10 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"however"?

Re: Um ...

[identity profile] erratio.livejournal.com 2008-05-15 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
whatsoever?