moist/damp

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:07 am

Is it possible to get a hold on the above words just from a dictionary definition? In many cases, "damp" has negative connotation, in others neutral connotation. In certain cases the words are not synonymous at all and in others they are synonyms.

The dew moistened/dampened the fields.

Damp/dampen/moisten the edges of the pastry and seal.

The building was damp/moist.

A cold damp/moist hand brushed his neck.

Students, I don't envy you in your fight to learn English.

jotham · Post by **jotham** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:53 am

Can a building be moist?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:14 pm

http://forums.eslcafe.com/teacher/viewt ... 4684#34684

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:19 pm

jotham wrote:Can a building be moist?

Not normally.

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:38 pm

According to the Cobuild Concordance and Collocations sampler, the commonest nouns that collocate with moist are soil, air, skin, eyes and cake.

The top five nouns that go with damp are cloth, hair, course, squib and conditions, though rising damp scores highly too.

I would agree with metal that damp often has negative connotations; would you rather have a moist cake or a damp cake? But is there a difference between a damp cloth and a moist one?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:54 pm

Yes, a moist cloth is different-it doesn't appear as a top collocate.

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:14 pm

But is there a difference between a damp cloth and a moist one?

I've never heard anyone say "I said a moist cloth, not a damp one!", but if anyone did, he/she would probably either be doing what Hoey calls overriding the collocational or semantic priming or he/she would just be being a pain in the bum.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:49 pm

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=540