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Wendy Wang
difference of two words
What's the difference between jewelry and jewel?
Thanks in advance for any reply!
2017년 6월 30일 오전 11:30
답변 · 4
2
Hello Wendy
A jewel is a precious stone like a diamond, jewelry/jewellery, as Michael says, is things produced from jewels which you can wear, for example - rings and necklaces.
Best wishes
Bob
2017년 6월 30일
1
First the grammar:
"Jewel" is a countable noun, which means that it has a plural form (jewels), and it needs an article in the singular form ( e.g. "That's a nice jewel").
"Jewelry" or 'jewellery" is an uncountable noun, which means that it has no plural form, and it doesn't need an article ( e.g. "That's nice jewellery"). If you want to make this word specifically singular or plural, you need to join it to a countable noun with the word "of" : for example, "an item/piece of jewellery" /"several items/pieces of jewellery".
Now the meaning:
Bob was right to narrow down Michael's definition of "jewel" - a jewel is a precious gemstone ( a diamond or an emerald, for example.) . 'A jewel' can't normally refer just to gold or another metal, however valuable.
I'd also like to add to Bob's definition of "jewellery" . Jewellery can be made from jewels ( a ruby ring or a diamond necklace, for example), but it doesn't have to be - a plain ring, necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings (made just from metal, for example), also counts as jewellery. Jewellery can also be made from non-precious materials - glass or plastic, for example.
One final extra definition. In the plural form only , "jewels" can refer collectively to jewellery and other precious wearables. This is a fairly outdated usage, as in "the Crown Jewels".
2017년 6월 30일
1
Jewel means precious as in stones, gold etc
Whereas jewelry is the result of craft and workmanship in producing rings, necklaces etc
2017년 6월 30일
jewelry 是珠宝首饰的总称,是不可数名词的一种:不可数的集合名词(另有可数的集合名词,如 group, troup, people, gang, committee)。
这种名词因为是总称,所有个体都包括了,当然是不可数的了,一般没有复数形式。
其中有的有对应的个体名词(可数),如:
jewelry: jewel
machinery: machine
poetry: poem
有的没有对应的个体名词,说到其中的个体的时候,需要用量词(quantifier)来表示:
a piece of furniture/ information/equipment
通用的量词有 piece, item, article等几个。
其他的量词不是固定的,只要能够表示计量、计数的名词都可以充当量词,例如:
a swarm of locusts 一群蝗虫
和汉语一样,英语的名词往往与相对固定的量词配合使用;但是英语名-量的配合关系比汉语的配合关系要灵活得多。只要一定的名词可以用来计量或计数都可以用——条件是你的用法不让受者感到别扭。许多量词的使用具有描写或比喻的修辞作用,可以使语言生色而又保持简洁。
也可以说:
a big cloud of locusts 一大群遮天蔽日的蝗虫
这里面就有与swarm不同的形象的描述了,cloud表现了蝗虫数量的多、密和—— 可怕!一个量词就表现了这么多的意思,所以选用巧妙、适当的量词可以收到言简义丰的表达效果。
汉语的量词的使用有时也有一定的灵活性,有的也有一定描写、比喻作用,例如:一弯明月,就可以表现出:不是满月(时间不是月中),月亮的形状,天气叫晴朗(云量少)等意义,具有一定的描述作用。但是汉语量词的使用大多数情况下只有计量或计数的作用。
a big cloud of locusts 一大群铺天盖日的蝗虫
当然,也不是所有的个体名词都有对应的总称/全称/泛称名词。要表示这种总称的意思,也需要用量词+名词(单数或复数)的形式。
2017년 6월 30일
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