[ILUG] [OT] - One for the IPv6 guys

[paul at clubi.ie]

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006, David Golden wrote:

> That's just not what my dictionary says for "any",

Then maybe you need another dictionary.

> nor how I encounter it in common english usage.

Ah, but it is.

> Of course, there IS NO 100% authoritative dictionary for english, 
> but let me assure you that thew "paul.jakma::any" definition is 
> just not what you can assume "any" means when talking to people!

> Any : 1. one, no matter which.

Shock horror.

>      2. some, no matter which.

This may be true, but it's not intrinsic to "any" - it's a bad 
definition.

> So there. Neener neener neener.

 	"Any X out of Y"

Or in set terms:

 	"Any subset of Y, constrained by X"

All subsets are referred to, but indefinitely - only /one/ subset may 
result or be considered at a time. The subset may or may not have 
multiple members[3].

To make the distinction perfectly clear:

 	"Any man may speak and he shall be heard"

Does that mean if multiple men speak they'll be heard[1]? Would a 
normal english speaker take that as given from that sentence[2]? 
What about:

 	"Any two men may speak and they shall be heard"

A set of two men meets the criteria, but two sets of two men, 
considered together, clearly does not...

Hope this helps.

1. No, or at least that's not a guarantee made in that sentence, it
    obviously refers to any subset consisting of a single man.

2. I suspect, at least hope, not.

3. Indeed, the subset may be empty, a form sometimes used in
    rhetorical questions (where the speaker takes such emptiness as
    obvious).

regards,
-- 
Paul Jakma	paul at clubi.ie	paul at jakma.org	Key ID: 64A2FF6A
Fortune:
"Success covers a multitude of blunders."
-- George Bernard Shaw