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ClarissaMach
Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 644
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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 Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:48 am Post subject: Someone / Sombody / Anyone / Anybody: perfect synonyms? |
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The pairs Someone/Somebody and Anyone/Anybody are perfect synonyms*? I mean, can the word "someone" be replaced by "somebody" in EVERY SINGLE sentece without any change of meaning?
What about "Anyone" and "anybody"?
*I don't know if the expression "perfect synonyms" exists in English; in Portuguese it refers to the fact that two words never mean exactly the same (killing and murdering, for example: one might kill an ant, but one won't never "murder" an ant).
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Mister Micawber
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 774
Location: Yokohama
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| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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I don't quite understand your definition, as 'perfect synonyms' would be 'two words that always mean exactly the same'; these, however, do not exist, as we can always find slight differences in usage.
Here, I consider the -one pronouns slightly more formal than the -body pronouns, and choose them in writing unless the writing is very casual.
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