Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!nike!ucbcad!vallath
From: vallath@ucbcad.BERKELEY.EDU (Vallath Nandakumar)
Newsgroups: sci.lang
Subject: Re: "Presently" ?= "Now"
Message-ID: <1106@ucbcad.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sun, 26-Oct-86 18:53:33 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbcad.1106
Posted: Sun Oct 26 18:53:33 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 27-Oct-86 05:14:39 EST
References: <3489@utcsri.UUCP> <21680@rochester.ARPA>
Reply-To: vallath@cad.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Vallath Nandakumar)
Distribution: net
Organization: UC Berkeley, CAD group
Lines: 14

In India, where we use British English with Indianisms,
we use presently to mean soon.  I think that this is the
correct British usage.
An opposite problem is with momentarily.  Momentarily
in British English means the same as for a moment -
"The rainbow vanished momentarily, but then reappeared.".
In America, it means the same as what "presently" or "shortly"
does in British English.  I have heard pilots here say
"The plane will take off momentarily", and I always have
a moment of puzzlement before I realize that it's not
going to fall back to the ground.

Vallath