This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
latex doesn't last worth beans
phrase

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Western European or West European (languages)

English answer:

Western European

Added to glossary by Mikhail Kropotov
May 3, 2005 14:59
19 yrs ago
10 viewers *
English term

Western European or West European

English Other Linguistics
Which is (more) correct?
Responses
4 +4 a simple explanation
4 +14 Western European
4 +1 western European
3 location vs concept

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com May 12, 2005:
Thank you all for your input!
Robert Donahue (X) May 3, 2005:
Aha! So then according to our calculations the worm has turned and there has been a huge uptick in the use of "Western European"! So all the cool kids are using it. Why not you? : P
Non-ProZ.com May 3, 2005:
Yeah, it's referring to languages.
When I *first* checked with Google about 5-6 weeks ago, "West European languages" got more hits than "Western European languages". Not it's reversed.
So I thought I'd check with you :)
Thanks to all who contributed!
Nesrin May 3, 2005:
Hence: Western European is correct, West European isn't (if I'm right).
Nesrin May 3, 2005:
I think "West European" implies there is a part of the world officially named "West Europe" such as South America or West Virginia, but there isn't: there is a continent called Europe and the western part of it is simply referred to as Western Europe.
RHELLER May 3, 2005:
I have never heard of a "western european" dictionary -
are you referring to "western european languages"?
Robert Donahue (X) May 3, 2005:
Sounds just fine to me. Like Rita said, used by the Times too.
Non-ProZ.com May 3, 2005:
"LingvoSoft Western European Dictionary Pack for Windows

This Windows software collection is packed with our best dictionaries for a number of European languages."
RHELLER May 3, 2005:
"Western European" is more common and is used by the NY Times (if that is an acceptable source); these are questions of style and may differ with publication
Robert Donahue (X) May 3, 2005:
I really think it depends on context here...do you have a specific one in mind?
Non-ProZ.com May 3, 2005:
I can see which is more common :) But which is more correct? :)
Thank you.

Responses

+4
3 hrs
Selected

a simple explanation

"west european" would be the adjective for "west europe".
"western european" would be the adjective for "western europe".

(note no caps to avoid controversy about capitalisation or otherwise of the points of the compass :-) )

In most contexts "western europe" is used, hence most logically and grammatically correct adjectival refs will similarly be to "western european".

However, if you have a reference to "west europe", which would most likely be as some kind of pseudo proper noun, e.g. a sales region called "West Europe", then "west european" would be the appropriate adjective.

It's that simple :-)
Peer comment(s):
agree Robert Donahue (X) : That's an explanation I can agree with.
27 mins
by default, for European languages, I would say "western" myself. but if he has a book which has divided Europe into North, S, E & West, say, & uses those terms as pseudo regions for some classification purpose, then he should use West European.
agree tappi_k
8 hrs
agree Rafal Korycinski
15 hrs
agree Elevenít (X)
2 days 14 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you for the explanation."
+14
1 min

Western European

is more common
Peer comment(s):
agree RHELLER : usually capitalized
5 mins
agree Kim Metzger : Western - NY Times Manual of Style and Usage: capitalize when referring to the region of the US, to Europe and the Americas or to the group of nations that opposed the Communists.
14 mins
agree Michael Bailey
28 mins
agree Konstantin Kisin
43 mins
agree ohemulen
56 mins
agree Elizabeth Lyons : Yup! :)
1 hr
agree John Bowden
1 hr
agree Vladimir Dubisskiy : West European - incorrect usage here
2 hrs
agree Refugio
2 hrs
agree Kirill Semenov
2 hrs
neutral Charlie Bavington : true, but there is a logic behind the different terms
3 hrs
agree humbird
11 hrs
agree Shane London
1 day 9 mins
agree Alfa Trans (X)
1 day 15 hrs
agree Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 days
Something went wrong...
+1
1 min

western European

...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2005-05-03 15:03:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I know Google isn\'t the be all end all, but the results bear notice.

Results 1 - 10 of about 553,000 for \"west european\".
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="west european"

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,450,000 for \"western european\".
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q="western european"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2005-05-03 15:04:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

More correct? Western European sounds more correct. : )
Peer comment(s):
agree Vladimir Dubisskiy : but Google can hardly be a valuable reference with this regard. Some Stylebooks more likely. But it was always "Western European" even at Pre-Google times :-)))
2 hrs
Thanks Vladimir. I was using google to show that it was more commonly used, not to measure validity, honest. : )
neutral Charlie Bavington : again, there's a good reason why it's more common and therefore sounds more correct....
3 hrs
OK, so why the neutral then if it's indeed correct? : ) Thanks Charlie.
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

location vs concept

To me west european suggests a geographical area, the western part of Europe; and western european suggests a concept, something that is characteristic of western europe, something that is not physical but is usually associated with western europe.

If that is of any help!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs 7 mins (2005-05-04 02:07:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

On second thoughts: west is merely an adjective for europe and stands alone, whereas the two terms in \"western europe\" go together and convey a single meaning, which is the concept or idea that is western europe.
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search