Re: Similar vs. Similarly

Mike987 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

Mike, this is the third time a post of yours has shown up without an
attribution line saying who wrote the quoted material. Would you please
make the effort to include such lines? It saves confusion. Thanks.

> >> "Both cameos feature a head in profile.  The stone cameo (fig. 2)
> >> shows Augustus' wife, Livia, whilst this glass cameo shows Augustus
> >> himself."

[I had said]

> >Mike, that "himself" up above makes it sounds like we should only are
> >about Augustus, and Livia is a nobody. I do not see that Adam was trying
> >to convey any comparative worth.
> 
> The "himself" emphasises the contrast between "Augustus' wife" and
> "Augustus".  It's interesting that you see this as implying some
> difference in comparative worth.  Perhaps you could explain? (I'm
> genuinely curious.)

Except for the typos I made, I don't know what I can say differently.
'Himself" puts an unwarranted emphasis on Augustus. That's what
"himself" does in a construction like that.

   They took it to the king himself. (Wow! All the way to the king!)

I'll believe you didn't mean the sentence to have that emphasis, but I
see it, and it was not present in the original we were trying to
improve, which was (at one point):

     "This glass cameo features an image of the head of Augustus in
     profile, in a similar manner as the stone cameo portrays his wife,
     Livia (fig. 2)."

-- 
Best -- Donna Richoux