Jomega@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · edit-21 day agoDespite being true, the sentence "Most people are Chinese." sounds weird when spoken out loud.message-squaremessage-square27linkfedilinkarrow-up181arrow-down141file-text
arrow-up140arrow-down1message-squareDespite being true, the sentence "Most people are Chinese." sounds weird when spoken out loud.Jomega@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · edit-21 day agomessage-square27linkfedilinkfile-text
minus-squareLordMayor@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up124·2 days ago“Most” would imply more than half which is not true of China or India. “Most people are Asian,” would be true.
minus-squaresurewhynotlem@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up10·2 days agoI really wish this went for more than two seasons
minus-squaresurewhynotlem@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up4·2 days agoI hadn’t even noticed. That’s fantastic
minus-squareCarl@anarchist.nexuslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up39arrow-down1·2 days 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 days agoGet outta 'ere with that nunnber magic you commie!
minus-squareTenniswaffles@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkarrow-up2arrow-down10·2 days 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-up5·edit-215 hours 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 days 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-up1·2 days 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.
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.
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!
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.