Mighty man :)

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi

He is a mighty man.

(Sorry for the stupid question…)
Could you say, what is (to you) the first sense of the expression? (When it is used actually seriously, with full respect :slight_smile: and not to compare a person with a comical superman :)).

He is… Strong physically? Brave? Powerful (influential)? …?
Or it depends mainly on the context and has to be specified clearly like this:

now he was a mighty man of wealth (bnc)

2

To me, it sounds like it`s about him being physically strong(vice versa?). But that is just me. :open_mouth:

3

Hi Tamara

Yes, I’d say the precise meaning would depend on the context.

Do you know the expression “high and mighty”?
.
I suspect you’re more likely to hear a person described as “high and mighty” than simply “mighty”. 8)
[size=84](Unless you’re referring to a comic book Superhero, that is.)[/size]:wink:

Amy

4

Hi SkiIucK

Thanks for your response, I’ve taken your vote. :slight_smile: Physically strong, OK.

Tamara

P.S. Sorry for my dullness, but what did you mean here by ‘vise versa’? :slight_smile:

5

As far as I`ve heard, vice versa is the opposite. For example, physically strong and strong physically.

6

Hi Tamara

I think SkiIuck was just questioning the word order.

Hi SkiIuck

In this case, you can say it either way: physically strong or strong physically

Amy

7

Sorry for double posting but I have one more question… What does “i.e.” stand for? And besides “et cetera”, are there any other valuable abbreviations that I should learn? Share them with me if such are present…:slight_smile: thx.

8

(not going to a dictionary) Amy, to me high and mighty means ‘arrogant’ or something like that.

No, I meant just ‘mighty man’.

9

Google gives a mighty man of valour…

Yes, Amy, now it seems you’re right, and in my case I had just lost a context…
As it happens to me quite often… :frowning:

Thanks, anyway.

10

Hi Tamara,

Mighty to me has touches of Biblical English suggesting all powerful. When used with another adjective it can mean very or extremely as in: That’s mighty kind of you.

Alan

11

Hi Tamara

Yes, “arrogant” is the meaning of “high and mighty”. But, my point was that I think you’re more likely to hear a person described as “high and mighty” (arrogant) and less likely to hear a person described as “mighty” (strong, powerful) – except for superheros and, as Alan has now pointed out, Biblical heros.

Mighty is used much more often as an adverb modifying an adjective. (Even in AmE. :lol:)

Amy

12

The abbreviation i.e. comes from Latin (id est) and is used in English as a short way to say “in other words” or “that is”.

We also use the abbreviation e.g., which also comes from Latin (exempli gratia) and is used in English as a short way to say “for example”

Amy

13

Hi,

I’m going to be a sneaky nasty knowall and say the plural of exemplum is exempla.

Class swot (A)

14

SkiIucK, just in case if youl find it useful: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_La … reviations

Alan, can I ask you, whether you do use for examples (in plural), in sentences like:

For examples, [… you can consider A and B ] ([size=84]for example :)[/size]).

And if so, if the comma is necessary in the case.
?

15

In a word ‘no’. I was merely being jolly smart**** by pointing out the Latin plural but in English we would say: for example and I’d bin the comma.

A