A Dictionary of Cont..

green fields” for the First Folio’s “a Table of
greene fields,” in Henry V, II. iii. 17-18, is
probably the most brilliant emendation in our
language).
amends, meaning reparation for an injury, may
be treated as a singular, as in a full amends
was made and every possible amends has been
made, or as a plural, as in these amends were
due us but he was in no hurry to make them.
Both of these constructions are standard English.
But the word is not a true plural and
we cannot speak of several amends. A singular
form amend was once in use, as in a full
amend was made. This is now obsolete or
nonstandard.
America; The United States of America. It does
seem a little hard on Canada and all the other
countries that comprise the Western Hemisphere
for the United States of America to be
called America, as if it were all. But, if it’s
any comfort to those who resent it, the usage
is founded on a lazy disinclination to pronounce
the longer name rather than arrogance
and it has no official sanction. Dominant countries
have always either taken over the name
of an entire region or imposed their own names
on the regions around them. Nothing can be
done about it and it’s silly to complain. After
all, it can never equal the original injustice
of calling two whole continents after Amerigo
Vespucci.
amiable; amicable. People are usually spoken of
as amiable; attitudes, dispositions, arrangements
and settlements as amicable (An amiable
man is usually willing to make an amicable
settlement). An amiable person is sweet tempered,
kind, gentle, thoughtful of others.. He
differs from a lovable person in that he does
not so much invite as give affection. An
amicable settlement usually means no more
than a peaceful one: the parties need not be
amiably disposed towards each other; it is
enough that they are not in open conflict.
amid; amidst. Both forms are acceptable, but
both are bookish. In the United States lzmid
is considered a little less bookish than amidst.
In Great Britain it is the other way around
and amidst is considered the more natural
word of the two. See also among.
ammunition. See munitions.
amoeba. The plural is amoebas or amoebae.
amok. See amuck.
among; amongst. Both forms are acceptable.
Among is the preferred form in the United
States, where amongst is often considered
“over-refined.” But amongst is also correct and
is tbe preferred form in England.
Among is related to the word mingle. It
means, roughly, in the midst of or surrounded
by, and implies a group. It therefore cannot be
used in speaking of only two objects, as the word
between can. But nor can it be used in speaking
of three or more objects unless these are
thought of as a group. Between must be used
if we want to suggest a relation or a difference
between individuals, no matter how
31 ample
English Dictionary says: “Between has been
from its earliest appearance extended to more
than two. . . . It is still the only word available
to express the relation of a thing to
many surrounding things severally and individually;
among expressing a relation to them
collectively [as a group] and vaguely.” That
is, we may say the house stood among the
trees but we cannot define a triangle as the
space lying among three points; we may say
he sat among the candidates but we cannot say
he must choose among six candidates. We
speak of a treaty between three nations because
each nation is bound individually to
each of the others. We say the five diplomats
settled the question between them in order to
emphasize the fact that each member of the
group agreed individually with each of the
others. On the other hand, if we say the three
men had $30 among them, we are treating the
three men as a group and leaving the possibility
open that one man had $30 and the
other two had nothing at all.
Among cannot be followed by a subjective
pronoun or any word or group of words that
is obviously singular. However, it is sometimes
followed by each other or one another where
literary English requires themselves or ourselves,
as in they agreed among each other.
This is not at present acceptable in written
English.
Although among and amid are sometimes
used interchangeably, among is more likely to
mean surrounded by or in relation to many
things and is followed by a plural word
(among friends). Amid, strictly, describes a
middle position between two other things or
groups of things and hence is followed by a
singular word (Amid the confusion, he stood
calm).
amoral. See immoral.
amorous. See amatory.
amount; number. Amount means bulk, sum
total, aggregate, quantity (The sheer amount
of rubble was appalling. The amount of 2
and 2 is 4. The amount of resistance he met
astonished him). In accounting it has the
special meaning of the sum of the principal
and interest of a loan (What is the full
amount I owe you?) which has led to its being
used as a synonym for total.
Number (in such uses as are likely to be
confused with amount) applies to separable
units (There were a great number of bricks in
the street. There was a vast amount of debris
in the street).
ampersand. The ampersand is the character &.
It should be used only in the writina of business
addresses which- include it (if a firm
calls itself Smith & Jones, it should be so
addressed; if it calls itself Smith and Jones,
the ampersand should not be used), in formulas,
and so on. The ampersand should not
be used for and in ordinary writing.
ample; enough. That is enough which is adequate
or sufficient to the need (There is enough
many individuals are involved. The Oxford treason mere to hang a dozen men). That