Date:  Thu, 11 Dec 1997 13:10:37 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199712111810.NAA24754@locke.ccil.org>
Reply-To: Matthew Faupel <Matthew.Faupel@ANSA.CO.UK>
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
From: Matthew Faupel <Matthew.Faupel@ANSA.CO.UK>
Subject:      Re: whether
X-To:         lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
To: John Cowan <cowan@LOCKE.CCIL.ORG>
In-Reply-To:  message from Robin Turner on Thu, 11 Dec 1997 19:42:08 +0200
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Robin Turner wrote:

> "She knew whether he was hungry."

> Is this really Standard English?  I have never heard "whether" used like
> this, though I suppose it might be common in the U.S.  Us Brits would just
> say "She knew he was hungry."

I'm British, and I can see a distinct difference between the two.  "She knew
whether he was hungry" does not imply that he was hungry, just that she knew
whether or not he was.

Cheers,


Matthew