Different than
This sounds highly ungrammatical to English ears, yet seems to be an increasingly common US usage (cf Br Eng “different from”, “different to”). If it is indeed considered correct, surely this makes the use of the word “than” in this context uniquely non-comparative - in all other cases that I can think of it has a comparative function - eg “faster than an eagle” or even “Icelanders are even more different from average Europeans than the Danish”. American speakers, any comments?
Brian (unregistered)
November 29, 2005, 11:29pm
How can different from be correct? "From" is a preposition that implies direction. "Than" is a preposition that implies comparison. If Billie is different from David, does David give Billie difference?
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
speedwell2
November 10, 2004, 8:37am
Mike wrote:
"X differs from Y"
"X is different than Y"
"X differs in respect to Y"
These usages are the preferred ones:
"X differs from Y in that..."
"X is different from Y..."
"X differs with respect to Y..."
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
Charlene (unregistered)
November 10, 2004, 5:12am
Mike, not in correct British English, it doesn't.
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
Perenna (unregistered)
November 10, 2004, 12:44am
The best, largest and highly esteemed English-Finnish dictionary lists prepositions used with different: "~ from (everyday also to, than)".
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
mike (unregistered)
November 9, 2004, 9:10pm
X differs from Y
X is different than Y
X differs in respect to Y
Hope this helps.
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
Perenna (unregistered)
November 9, 2004, 12:41am
What always puzzled me is the written expression "it's different then your hat", until I realised that it's a mere spelling error for 'than'.
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
speedwell2
November 8, 2004, 2:24pm
Bad edit, sorry... the example sentence above should read "...those of her four older sisters."
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse
speedwell2
November 8, 2004, 2:23pm
Personally, I hate "different than" and go out of my way to avoid using it. But, strangely, when I hear it used, I rarely mind. Some usages sound better to my ear than others do, though.
Bad-sounding usages:
"His hat is different than her hat."
"You are different than any girl I've ever known."
"It's different than you think it is."
Somewhat OK-sounding usages:
"Our stock portfolio is different in many ways than it was during the early 80s oil boom."
"Her wedding gown was different than those of her four older sisters'."
I frankly do not know why some usages sound better to me. I do know that I can't think, offhand, of any other comparative that uses the word "from," except words that literally indicate increasing distance, such as "further." (Example: "She was further from the buffet than she was from the dance floor.")
Bear in mind that I have lived in Texas for seven years and in the American South for fifteen years before that.
0 vote Vote! • URL to this comment • Report Abuse