Today when I talked to an English gentleman via the Internet, I used the word "sweat" to describe that I sweated a lot after playing the table tennis. Then he told me that I shouldn't use the word "sweat" as only animals sweat. He said, "We are humans and we should perspire". I wonder whether it is true or not. Could you please explain this for me? Thanks for your attention and your efforts.
sweat and perspiration
- Thread starter tiantian888
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He must be quite an old-fashioned English person. I remember this view being expressed by my grandmother, who was born in about 1885. I haven't heard it recently.
The French are usually more delicate about bodily functions than the British. Since the beginning of the seventeeth century they've not been able to apply personal adjectives easily to parts of the body.
Wonderful replies!! Thanks a lot!
I was raised in Argentina, and over there in my times we made sure we used the word sweat only in reference to animals.
Perspiration was the correct and delicate word for humans. This was thought at home and in the school.
It's a shame, specially here in the USA sweat is apply to animals and also to humans. The way I see it people in general do not take pride to try to speak a good and refine English.
Interesting, Loob. It wasn't just BE; I remember hearing this from elderly people when I was a little kid here in the US. Now, of course, we all sweat.
Now, of course, we all sweat.
Quite so. In other word's, Don't sweat it
Don't sweat it! (American informal)something that you say in order to tell someone not to worry Don't sweat it! We've got plenty of time to get there before the show starts. (TheFreeDictionary.com)
Seriously, we (AE) use "sweat" in many common terms with respect to humans in everyday conversation.
The way I see it, "perspiration" is to "sweat" as "bathroom tissue" is to "toilet paper." The first is a euphemism used mainly in advertising, while the second is what the average person actually says.
When I finish a 10K race in the summer, I sweat. That is the only word for it. I would be offended if someone suggested I was perspiring. To me, that would be an insult: that person didn't think I had run as hard as I could.
We have words of both Germanic and Latin origin for many concepts in English. Because the Latin words came into English primarily after the Norman conquest of 1066, they were associated with the ruling classes. In many cases they imply a more elite activity: compare, for example, "dine" and "eat." Some people still make that social or cultural distinction. Others think it's a relic of Victorian attitudes. It often varies from one word pair to another. This can be difficult when learning English, because it's more a question of how words are used than of what words mean.
We have words of both Germanic and Latin origin for many concepts in English. Because the Latin words came into English primarily after the Norman conquest of 1066, they were associated with the ruling classes. In many cases they imply a more elite activity: compare, for example, "dine" and "eat." Some people still make that social or cultural distinction. Others think it's a relic of Victorian attitudes. It often varies from one word pair to another. This can be difficult when learning English, because it's more a question of how words are used than of what words mean.
Thank you for your great explanation Egmont!