LL-L "False friends" 2004.06.11 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.JUN.2004 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: John Duckworth <jcduckworth2003 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: False Friends


Greetings Lowlanders,

I am a little bit confused by the inference in the discussion that there is
a semantic difference between _sick_ and _ill_ in British English. I am
originally from Lancashire in the North-West of England, and I can remember
using the words almost synonymously since I was young. I say 'almost'
synonymously, because maybe in the word _sick_ there is a sense of feeling
nauseous, as well as just being off colour. I have lived in various parts of
the UK and have never noticed them being used differently anywhere else; I
start to wonder if I have just overlooked the difference.

In our local English _Are you feeling sick?_ would more or less mean _Are
you feeling nauseous?_ or perhaps _Have you got a stomach ache?_. _To be
sick_, on the other hand was used of vomiting: _I have just been sick_ would
mean _I have just vomited_. _Sick_ is also used as a noun for 'vomit'.

We had another adjective (in the form of an adverb) too for sick/ill,
_poorly_, as in: _She was feeling poorly, so she didn't go into work._

_Sick_ in the sense of 'obnoxious', etc., seems to me to be a secondary
meaning imported from the States (though sometimes this impression later
turns out to be erroneous), we would however have said:'You're sick in the
head, you are!'

Interestinly enough I have a Pakistani friend who lived most of his life in
England, and speaks English fluently, who for some reason thinks that _ill_
means 'having a high temperature', and would say _not well_ or _sick_  to
describe having any other complaint.

John Duckworth
Preston, Lancashire

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: False friends

John,

Whatever it's worth, all you said above -- with the exception of the
linguistic peculiarity of the Pakistani friend (though I have a Pakistani
friend too) -- is what I had thought also, having spent considerable amounts
of time in English-speaking countries such as the England, Australia, Canada
and the US, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong.  I was beginning to doubt my
perception, but now I know that I am not alone.  Thanks for the boost!

> _Sick_ is also used as a noun for 'vomit'.

I haven't come across this one, though, but I take your word for it.

Regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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