• otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    A “generation” is colloquially ~14-20 years, and “several” means 7+. Keiko’s high as balls again. 🤦🏽‍♂️

    edit: if “several” generations “by any reckoning” were able to fit into ~85 years’ time, it would require 10yr olds becoming parents in each generation, consecutively. What the actual, Keiko. Words matter. Ew.

        • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          2 months ago

          I agree with the poster below, in that they’re ambiguous terms used interchangably, descriptive linguistics and whatnot. But in my brain, they’re hard coded as couple=2, few=3, several=4+, a bunch= 10 or more, but not 12. Can me 10, 11, 13+, but can’t specifically be 12. That’s a dozen.

          • criitz@reddthat.com
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            edit-2
            2 months ago

            I agree with these, except I would use a bunch to mean as low as say, 5 or 6. Like a bunch of bananas at a grocer.

            • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              2 months ago

              I could get behind this. The low end of a bunch isn’t as clearly defined in my head as the others. So long as it isn’t precisely 12, it’s okay. Lol. Also, 6 is often “half dozen” but not always.

        • criitz@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          2 months ago

          Haha, sorry! I know people like to give very specific meanings to words like a few, several, or some, but colloquially to me they are intentionally ambiguous and all basically mean “a small amount, more than 2”

      • otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        TBF, even three “generations” in that span assumes parenthood by 28 (2021: 30, FYI), and 4+ generations by 7 years apiece — putting it well beyond reality “by any reckoning”.

      • Rusty@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        Heroes of might and magic III taught me when I was a kid that Few means 1-4 and several means 5-9 and I refuse to receive any other explanations