Jomega@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · edit-22 months agoDespite being true, the sentence "Most people are Chinese." sounds weird when spoken out loud.message-squaremessage-square27linkfedilinkarrow-up180arrow-down141file-text
arrow-up139arrow-down1message-squareDespite being true, the sentence "Most people are Chinese." sounds weird when spoken out loud.Jomega@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · edit-22 months agomessage-square27linkfedilinkfile-text
minus-squareLordMayor@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up124·2 months ago“Most” would imply more than half which is not true of China or India. “Most people are Asian,” would be true.
minus-squareCarl@anarchist.nexuslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up40arrow-down1·2 months agoYup. Being the largest minority doesn’t automatically make you the majority. Unless you’re working with funny electoral college numbers, in which case ~34% apparently equals >50%.
minus-squareTheReanuKeeves@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up9·2 months agoGet outta 'ere with that nunnber magic you commie!
minus-squaresurewhynotlem@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up10·2 months agoI really wish this went for more than two seasons
minus-squaresurewhynotlem@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up4·2 months agoI hadn’t even noticed. That’s fantastic
minus-squareTenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkarrow-up2arrow-down10·2 months agoMost doesn’t mean or imply more than half, its the largest group, or greatest in quantity, biggest piece, etc. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/most https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/most https://www.thefreedictionary.com/most https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/most
minus-squareLordMayor@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6·edit-22 months agoThe definitions you link all include a meaning of “most” that is “a majority of”. Context matters. “China has the most people.” Here it means the greatest quantity. “Most people are Chinese.” Here it means a majority of people are Chinese. That’s just how English works. Also, India has the most people, not China.
minus-squareTheReanuKeeves@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·2 months agoI hope you were drunk and or high when you decided it would be a good idea to comment this
minus-squareThymos@discuss.tchncs.delinkfedilinkarrow-up2·2 months agoBut in this case there is a larger group than the Chinese people, i.e. all the people that are not Chinese. If “most people are not Chinese” is true, then “most people are Chinese” cannot be true.
“Most” would imply more than half which is not true of China or India.
“Most people are Asian,” would be true.
Yup. Being the largest minority doesn’t automatically make you the majority.
Unless you’re working with funny electoral college numbers, in which case ~34% apparently equals >50%.
Get outta 'ere with that nunnber magic you commie!
I really wish this went for more than two seasons
Username checks out
I hadn’t even noticed. That’s fantastic
Nah, they’re better off two’d.
Most doesn’t mean or imply more than half, its the largest group, or greatest in quantity, biggest piece, etc.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/most
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/most
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/most
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/most
The definitions you link all include a meaning of “most” that is “a majority of”. Context matters.
“China has the most people.” Here it means the greatest quantity.
“Most people are Chinese.” Here it means a majority of people are Chinese.
That’s just how English works.
Also, India has the most people, not China.
I hope you were drunk and or high when you decided it would be a good idea to comment this
But in this case there is a larger group than the Chinese people, i.e. all the people that are not Chinese. If “most people are not Chinese” is true, then “most people are Chinese” cannot be true.