2022-03-23
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – F - figure & number
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com:
ออกเสียง figure = “FIG-yer” or British = “FIG-er”
ออกเสียง number = “NUHM-ber”
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions:
figure & number
In the sense in which it is often confused with number,
figure means
“a numerical symbol,”
“an amount or value expressed in numbers”:
“The little boy had difficulty writing the figure 5.”
“What figure did you arrive at as the total?”
A number is a symbol or word,
or a combination of symbols or words, used to denote a sum:
“The number of people at the party exceeded 100.”
A number may be expressed in words (one hundred) or figures (100).”
The use of figure as a verb to mean “to compute” is standard
(Figure what I owe you),
but its use to mean “to judge”
or “to think”
or “to conclude” is substandard.
As a verb,figure is an overworked word for which
the following might be substituted:
calculate, comprehend, compute, contrive,
determine, reason, suppose, and think.
“Figure out” is both trite and informal,
as are “cut a figure” “figure on,” and “it figures.”
Dictionary.com:
ORIGIN OF NUMBER
First recorded in 1250–1300; 1940–45 for def. 23;
Middle English noun nombre, nomber, number,
from Old French nombre, numbre, from Latin numerus; verb
derivative of the noun)
Dictionary.com:
SYNONYM STUDY FOR NUMBER
Number, Sum
both imply the total of two or more units.
Number applies to the result of a count or estimate
in which the units are considered as individuals;
it is used of groups of persons or things:
to have a number of items on the agenda.
Sum applies to the result of addition,
in which only the totalis considered:
a large sum of money.
Dictionary.com:
GRAMMAR NOTES FOR NUMBER
As a collective noun,
number, whenpreceded by a, is most often treated as a plural:
A number of legislators have voiced their dissent.
When preceded by the, it is usually used as a singular:
The number of legislators present was small.
See also collective noun.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
History and Etymology for figure
Noun
Middle English, "shape, form, likeness, symbol, design, written character," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin figūra
"shape, form, outward appearance, likeness, nonliteral form of speech," from fig-, variant stem of fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, pretend to be" + -ūra -URE — more at FEIGN
Verb
Middle English figuren "to shape, represent symbolically, prefigure," borrowed from Anglo-French figurer, borrowed from Latin figūrāre
"to shape, form, make a likeness of, represent,"
verbal derivative of figūra "shape, FIGURE entry 1"
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Amount vs. Number: Usage Guide
Noun
Number is regularly used with count nouns
a large number of mistakes
any number of times
while amount is mainly used with mass nouns.
annual amount of rainfall
a substantial amount of money
The use of amount with count nouns
has been frequently criticized;
it usually occurs when the number of things
is thought of as a mass or collection
glad to furnish any amount of black pebbles — New Yorker
a substantial amount of film offers — Lily Tomlin or
when money is involved. a substantial amount of loans — E. R. Black
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language:
num′ber·er n.
Usage Note:
As a collective noun
number may take either a singular or a plural verb.
It takes a singular verb when it is preceded by the definite article the:
The number of skilled workers is increasing.
It takes a plural verb when preceded by the indefinite article a:
A number of the workers have learned new skills.
