a HISTORIC/HISTORICAL BUILDING

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kuleshov

Senior Member
Spain Spanish
I've found both collocations with buidlings, but I don't know the difference.I think historic buildings are usually old and important, such as Westminster Abbey, but I have no idea what a historical building is.

Does anyone the difference when it comes down to buildings and cities?

Cheers :confused:
 
    • kuleshov said:
    I've found both collocations with buidlings, but I don't know the difference.I think historic buildings are usually old and important, such as Westminster Abbey, but I have no idea what a historical building is.

    Does anyone the difference when it comes down to buildings and cities?

    Cheers :confused:
    Click to expand...

    I believe they are used synonymously. I checked the BYU corpus of AE (360+ million words): 11 instances of historical building, 48 of historic building.

    From a million-word BNC corpus, 3 instances of historical building and 29 of historic building.

    So, usage preference seems to be for the use of 'historic building' rather than 'historical building'
     
    Yes, I know the general difference between historic and historical. It is when we use the adjectives with buildings. If we follow the rule a historical buidling is one which is related to history but may be not important at all, whereas a historic building is by definition "historical" but also impressive or important -Stonehenge for example-. This is what I think.

    What would you say? Mexico City is a historical capital city in North America or a historic capital city in North America?

    Perhaps individual buildings and city centres can be historic and cities can only be historical.
     
    kuleshov said:
    Yes, I know the general difference between historic and historical. It is when we use the adjectives with buildings. If we follow the rule a historical buidling is one which is related to history but may be not important at all, whereas a historic building is by definition "historical" but also impressive or important -Stonehenge for example-. This is what I think.

    What would you say? Mexico City is a historical capital city in North America or a historic capital city in North America?

    Perhaps individual buildings and city centres can be historic and cities can only be historical.
    Click to expand...


    I think I am wrong, perhaps both are interchangeable when followed by city/building/monument.:D
     
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