Most manuals will say you want to use between when referring to two people or things (‘sitting between John and Carol’) and between when referring to more than two people or things (‘students talk to each other’). But a more precise rule is to use between when you want to talk about the relationship of distinct and often equal entities (‘Let’s keep this between me, you and Kim.’) and use between when referring to things collectively or in groups (‘dancing among the trees’). (among can be used instead of between if you want to sound fancy.)
If you’re interested in grammar, you’ve probably heard the proverb about between And between: only use between when you are referring to two things (“only between us”, “between a rock and a hard place”, “you must choose between cake or death”) and use between when referring to more than two (“you are one of friends,” “among the many options available to you”). But like many proverbs about grammar and usage, this is not necessarily true.
Replacing the word ‘among’ with the more idiomatic word ‘between’ can create more awkwardness than it solves.
The History of ‘Among’ and ‘Between’
Both between And between date back to Old English. Between originally a phrase (on gems) means “in the crowd” and noun gemstone comes from a verb that means “to mix or mix.” From the beginning, between has been used to refer to a position (literal or figurative) in relation to a surrounding group of individuals, such as friends, or to something considered complex, such as a basket flower.
Betweenmeanwhile, begins its life a little later between. It is directly from Old English and is related to the word two, which means “two.” This may be the reason some people insist that it can only be used for two people or things—that’s the word “two”! But between originally like between: it refers to some person or thing. In fact, our first use of between in English is related to the Apostles, and our sources confirm that there are certainly more than two of them.
interchangeability
That does not mean between And between have the same usage or meaning. We use between when we want to express a relationship to things and treat them as separate and often equal entities: between the devil and the deep blue sea; restaurant between my house and my work; An agreement between Countries. This meaning stems from the earlier use of between refers to a point between two places or moves between two specific points. Betweenotherwise is the best word to use when referring to things in a general and imprecise manner: for this reason, between others; no honor between thief.
Like many rules around usage, it’s wiser to stick to the native meanings of your language than to follow them strictly. replace between for a more idiom between can create more awkwardness than it solves:
Mr. Mifflin had protested since 1914 that one day Ambrose Bierce would come along and flatly refute everything I had written about the wonderful quadrilateral that existed between Hodgson, Conrad, Nugent, and Eve. —James Thurber, letter, May 2, 1946
Yes, Thurber used the word “correct” between here, because more than two people are being discussed. But it sounds awkward, especially when between implies ambiguity, and is followed by the names of four separate persons, regarded by Thurber as equals—in a quadrilateral, even—denying among essential ambiguity.
Or consider using this betweenwhich was definitely selected on between purely by the numbers:
The psychiatrist said after cross-examination…that he would include simultaneous intercourse between two men and a woman—a scene shown in the film—in the normal category… —New York TimesDecember 30, 1972
Some things in life shouldn’t be so vague.
‘Among’ Usage
This type of overcorrection is common when writers want to sound flamboyant or educated, but there’s another way of overcorrecting that makes commentators unhappy: variant substitution. between because between or between. For example, Bryan Garner, in Garner’s Modern English Usagegives a perfect example of criticism against betweencall it a “preferably pretentious” archaism, but our evidence does not confirm that view. among definitely less common betweenand it is used more in British English than in American English (“among our weapons are factors as diverse as fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency…”) Those two facts may be reason enough to between stand out in front of an American speaker. But we have many not-so-unknown and unpretentious American uses of it in our records:
Pelican is a wild town where a year ago there was a gunfight between some fishermen,… —Donn Groom, world cruiseMarch 1984
As many as 29 potential sites have been found, each with a dead spot in the maze of microwave beams. —John W. Verity, dataJuly 1982
Among the evidence are criticisms from such internet celebrities… —John Weisman, TV User ManualSeptember 11, 1981
According to a survey recently released by ACNielsen, the penetration rate of satellite TV into homes in Saudi Arabia is now 80%: “Among the highest rates in the world.” —Christopher Dickey et al., weekly newsJuly 22, 2002
However, it’s a bit presumptuous to swap for between in fixed phrases and idioms like among friends And first in equality.
So what should a discerning reader and writer do? Use your instincts. If swap between because between the sound is off somehow, then it could be. Even the best used writers have posed between/between diktat and then immediately stray:
among, between: Between can be applied to any number; between only applies to two. —Frank Vizetelly, A Desk-Book of Errors in English, 1906, p. 14
bring, bring, take: Distinguish carefully between these words.—Frank Vizetelly, A Desk-Book of Errors in English, 1906, p. 40
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
