# As nearly as



## Willi

Salve a tutti!
C'è un'espressione idiomatica simile a questa in italiano? A me non viene in mente niente  
La frase completa è "his real name was, as nearly as I can write it, XXX"
Thanks


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## alitza

Io non ho mai sentito questa espressione in inglese. Ovviamente, questo non vuol dire che non c'e', ma ho provato a cercarla con google, per curiosita', e non l'ho trovata su nessun sito. Si usa molto in inglese, secondo te?


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## Willi

Secondo me sì. L'ho cercata anch'io con google e ho trovato un sacco di siti, purtroppo sono tutti in inglese (ovviamente  ) e non mi aiutano molto con la traduzione italiana.


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## ElaineG

Sì, "as nearly as" è molto usata.  Forse è più usata nel parlare che nella scrittura, ma ho trovato 2.4 millioni "hits" su Google!

Ma è troppo presto -- non riesco a pensare di una frase italiana!  Mi dispiace, Willi


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## alitza

Sara' un'altro google . Io non trovo niente.


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## ElaineG

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-45,GGLD:en&q=%22as+nearly+as%22


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## You little ripper!

Willi, _as nearly as,_ in the sentence you've given, doesn't make sense to me. Will you explain what you mean by it.


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## ElaineG

In that sentence, it would as close as possible to the accurate writing of his name, *Charles*.

A common use of that phrase is "as nearly as I can tell" (as close as I get to being accurate).

"There are about 20 birds in that tree, as nearly as I can tell."


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## You little ripper!

ElaineG said:
			
		

> In that sentence, it would as close as possible to the accurate writing of his name, *Charles*.
> 
> A common use of that phrase is "as nearly as I can tell" (as close as I get to being accurate).
> 
> "There are about 20 birds in that tree, as nearly as I can tell."


 It could be AE. I've not heard it. We would say, _as far as I can tell_.


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## ElaineG

I don't think it's the best grammar/usage in the world, but it is a very common spoken locution in AE.


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## You little ripper!

How about _per quanto posso_?


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## Willi

Charles Costante said:
			
		

> Willi, _as nearly as,_ in the sentence you've given, doesn't make sense to me. Will you explain what you mean by it.


 
His (the main character's) name is something like Hxzltl, so the speaking person (I mean la voce narrante) has some difficulties in writing it. It's a children's book.
EDIT I think Elaine got it right.


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## Raphillon

I agree with Charles: "Per quanto posso..." is as nearly as I can go... 

Or even better with the conditional:
"Per quanto io possa..."


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## Willi

Maybe something like "per scriverlo il più precisamente possibile" but it sounds terrible and it's a bit long.


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## lsp

ElaineG said:
			
		

> In that sentence, it would as close as possible to the accurate writing of his name, Charles.
> 
> A common use of that phrase is "as nearly as I can tell" (as close as I get to being accurate).
> 
> "There are about 20 birds in that tree, as nearly as I can tell."


I'm more familiar with "as near as I can tell," which gets 10x the google results. Oddly, it means the same, and sounds just as natural to me as Charles's "as far as I can tell."


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## You little ripper!

What about_ per quel che ne so?_


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## lsp

Charles Costante said:
			
		

> What about_ per quel che ne so?_


I was thinking similarly, per quanto ne so.


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## Elisa68

Nel contesto:

_Per quanto preciso possa essere._

o anche

_Se ben ricordo_

Che ne dite?


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## You little ripper!

Elisa68 said:
			
		

> Nel contesto:
> 
> _Per quanto preciso possa essere._
> 
> o anche
> 
> _Se ben ricordo_
> 
> Che ne dite?


I like _per quanto preciso possa essere._ I think it fits in quite well there_._


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## Willi

Charles Costante said:
			
		

> I like _per quanto preciso possa essere._ I think it fits in quite well here_._


 
I like it too  
Grazie a tutti
As usual you are invaluable


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## lsp

lsp said:
			
		

> I was thinking similarly, per quanto ne so.


No one commented on this, or the one Charles offered ("per quel che ne so"), and then in Solo Italiano I saw "Per quanto io sappia...."

So would our expressions work, and would they require subjunctive?


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## moodywop

lsp said:
			
		

> No one commented on this, or the one Charles offered ("per quel che ne so"), and then in Solo Italiano I saw "Per quanto io sappia...."
> 
> So would our expressions work, and would they require subjunctive?


 
I expect many members will say that the subjunctive is the only correct form in _per quanto ne sappia _and _per quel che ne sappia. _

A search on Google shows that the use of the indicative is by far more common in these two phrases, both of which mean _as far as I know._ I would argue that both forms can be used, the subjunctive indicating greater uncertainty. These two examples seem to confirm this(incidentally, the sentence using the indicative is from a lecture by a highly-respected scholar):

_*Per quanto ne so*, non esistono Istituti con finalità internazionali che operino nel campo della storia generale della filosofia_

_Questo non l'ho ancora verificato, ma *per quanto ne sappia...*_

Edit: It has just occurred to me that there is a third way of saying _as far as I know_ where only the subjunctive is possible: *che io sappia.*


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## lsp

moodywop said:
			
		

> I expect many members will say that the subjunctive is the only correct form in _per quanto ne sappia _and _per quel che ne sappia. _
> 
> A search on Google shows that the use of the indicative is by far more common in these two phrases, both of which mean _as far as I know._ I would argue that both forms can be used, the subjunctive indicating greater uncertainty. These two examples seem to confirm this(incidentally, the sentence using the indicative is from a lecture by a highly-respected scholar):
> 
> _*Per quanto ne so*, non esistono Istituti con finalità internazionali che operino nel campo della storia generale della filosofia_
> 
> _Questo non l'ho ancora verificato, ma *per quanto ne sappia...*_
> 
> Edit: It has just occurred to me that there is a third way of saying _as far as I know_ where only the subjunctive is possible: *che io sappia.*



Perfectly clear! Thank you so much for explaining this for me in your inimitable style!


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## curon

I don't want to offend anyone but "as nearly as" sounds dreadful . Learners of English please steer clear of this. If it is an americanism, then I apologise. Like I said, I do not want to offend anybody. I like americanisms, as they enrich the language, but "as nearly as" is a step too far, in my humble opinion. Jana tells me that sloppy grammar is frowned upon here, so let me frown upon "as nearly as", and turn my British nose in the air.


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## Willi

Hi Curon, I don't want to put you down, but I'm afraid the book where I found it is English, I mean, British English


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## curon

Ha!  Then it is not an americanism! I do not have to cancel my holiday in Florida . Still, you should avoid this like the plague. It just goes to show that we are quite capable of butchering our own language without the help of former colonies!


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## Willi

But why is it so terrible? It doesn't seem so different from "as far as I" for example.


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## curon

I guess it is subjective. It just sounds wrong. But then again I might be alone in this respect.


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## Willi

Ah, ok. I solemnly promise I will try to avoid "as nearly as" with all my strength, if you think it's poor style. I trust your taste.  
Thank you


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## curon

Thank you,  but your trust may be misplaced. I have done a google search and cannot believe my eyes. 
Out of curiosity, is the name from the original text a foreign one, or possibly with characters other than the English alphabet? 
I am trying to come up with an alternative "to as n.. as  " (yuk ... I can't even bring myself to type it) "as accurately as" ...doesn't sound that good either...hmm...


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## Willi

I think I wrote the name some posts before. It's Hxzltl (nice name, isn't it ?  ) It's in a children's book.
The lucky bearer of this beautiful name is a centipede. Please don't ask...


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## curon

Then perhaps my criticism of "as nearly as" was a bit vociferous. I still wouldn't use it myself, but under the circumstances.... 
Thanks by the way...I have been looking for a nice name for my first child


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## Juri

OKer quanto ne so. All'incirca. Pressapoco.
Colloquiale "Mi sa che...


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