Know your English

“Fifth column (Sheela Paranjoti, New Delhi).”

“‘Fifth column’ means ‘a group working for an enemy within a country at war.’ During the Spanish Civil War (193639), when Gen. Franco’s forces were marching towards Madrid in four columns, a fifth column of his supporters actively assisted him within Madrid itself. Any organisation or individual working within a country to assist the enemy is called a fifth column. ‘Fifth column’ is a translation of the Spanish ‘quinta columna.’ A fifth columnist is ‘a member of a fifth column, a traitor or spy.’ The Fifth Column is the title of a play written by Ernest Hemingway in 1937 about the Spanish Civil War. ‘Quinary’ means ‘of the number five,’ ‘having five parts.’ ‘Quinquennial’ means ‘lasting five years,’ ‘recurring every five years.’ ‘Quinquennium’ means ‘a period of five years.’ ‘Quinquagenarian’ is ‘a person 50 to 59 years old.’ ‘Quintan’ means (of fever and the like) ‘occurring every fifth day’. ‘Quintet’ is any group of five. ‘Quintuplet’ means ‘each of five children born at one birth.’ ‘Quintuplicate’ means ‘fivefold.’ ‘In quintuplicate’ means ‘in five identical copies.’ ‘Quintessence’ is the most essential part of anything. ‘Quintessence’ means the fifth essence. In ancient and medieval Western philosophy, it was believed that besides the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, the fifth essence or element, ether, was the most important and was considered the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies.

The Gita is the quintessence of the Upanishads.”

“Early, early on (Shanta Barua, Calcutta).”

“They do not mean the same. ‘Early on’ means ‘soon after the start of a past event’. It refers ‘to an early point or stage in a process or course of events.’

Early on in life, he realised every person has a price.

Early on, his father told him that he would be a successful painter.

Early on, he was an indifferent student. Later he became a diligent one.

‘Early’ means ‘before the usual or appropriate time.’

He gets up early.

You cannot say ‘He gets up early on.’

Early on in his student days, he used to get up early. Now he does not.”

“Instantly, instantaneously (Subha Chatterjee, Darjeeling).”

“‘Instantly’ means ‘immediately, at once.’

When he heard the news, he left the place instantly.

I met him for the first time and liked him instantly.

‘Instantaneously’ means ‘taking an imperceptibly short time to occur.’

When two events occur in such a way that the interval between them is imperceptible, you use ‘instantaneous’.

The explosion occurred instantaneously when she touched the transistor radio.

There was an instantaneous applause when he arrived at the place of meeting.

These days only careful writers maintain the distinction between the two words.”

Published in The Hindu on July 23, 1991.