GalacticCactus Forum

Author Topic: Spanned from  (Read 1179 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Jonathon

  • Evil T-Rex
  • Administrator
  • Übermember
  • *****
  • Posts: 24,674
  • This is the darkest timeline
    • View Profile
    • GalacticCactus
Spanned from
« on: May 29, 2007, 02:06:58 PM »
In my editing I came across something that seemed weird: "Construction spanned from 1732 to 1762." My impression is that something can span a time period ("spanned three decades") but not a range of dates (from x to y). M-W's definition says "to extend across." That doesn't seem to fit with the usage in my example.

Does anyone else think it's weird?
You underestimate my ability to take things seriously!

Offline Porter

  • ruining funny with facts
  • Übermember
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,332
  • long time lurker, first time poster
    • View Profile
Spanned from
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2007, 02:11:20 PM »
Kinda weird, but only once you pointed it out.
Tomorrow Poster
Sooner or later, this forum is going to max out on hyperliteralness.

Offline Brinestone

  • Nerdkins
  • Super Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 6,234
    • View Profile
Spanned from
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2007, 02:49:52 PM »
It doesn't sound wrong to me at all, though "spanned three decades" seems more familiar.
Ephemerality is not binary. -Porter

Offline JT

  • Super Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,190
    • View Profile
    • http://www.entropicalisle.com
Spanned from
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2007, 03:00:54 PM »
It's the 'spanned from' that's weird, if you ask me.

If the sentence read, "Construction spanned thirty years, from 1732-1762" it wouldn't seem so weird.  I think I expect 'spanned' to be followed by a unit of some sort (either time or distance) and not a preposition.
entropicalisle.com
What sets the carbon atom apart is that it is shamelessly promiscuous.

Offline Jonathon

  • Evil T-Rex
  • Administrator
  • Übermember
  • *****
  • Posts: 24,674
  • This is the darkest timeline
    • View Profile
    • GalacticCactus
Spanned from
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2007, 03:04:19 PM »
Thanks, JT. My thoughts exactly.
You underestimate my ability to take things seriously!