[Vocabulary] encompassing/umbrella/all-inclusive term

[luxury20041985]

Hello Everyone:

I don’t know where to begin; it’s not easy to describe the different shades of blue. Is the word blue, an all-inclusive term, not sufficient?

In my sentences, I find "all-inclusive" sounding like "all-inclusive travel package". I am looking for an adjective to show that I am amazed by blue's richness in meaning. Umbrella/encompassing cannot capture the nuance of my emotion.

Could you please give me a better suggestion?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hello Everyone:

I don’t know where to begin; it’s not easy to describe the different shades of blue. Is the word blue, an all-inclusive term, not sufficient?

I don't understand the question. Why do you call blue all-inclusive? Because in includes every shade of blue? Not sufficient for what?

In my sentences, I find "all-inclusive" sounding like "all-inclusive travel package".

If you mean that it's the wrong tone for what you're trying to say, you're probably right.

I am looking for an adjective to show that I am amazed . . .

You can use the adjective amazing. And amazing has lots of synonyms.

. . . by blue's richness in meaning.

What do you mean by "richness in meaning"? Does a color have a meaning?

Umbrella/encompassing cannot capture the nuance of my emotion.

No, neither works. All-encompassing might be closer. You might look up myriad, infinite, and endless and see if any fit.

Could you please give me a better suggestion?

That's the best I can do.

Does that help? If it doesn't, tell us more about what you want to say.

 

[tedmc]

You do not seem to be sure of what you are asking. You ask for an adjective, which "umbrella" is not.

If you are talking about the band of colours which come under the blues, you can call it part of a "spectrum". A full spectrum consists of the seven rainbow colours, abbreviated as ROYGBIV.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

'Umbrella' can be used as a noun modifier. That's an adjective to people who are not experts in the terminology of grammar.

That's interesting. At first I wrote that umbrella is a noun, not an adjective, but then I thought of umbrella organization and umbrella stand and deleted it.

As a lifelong non-expert in grammar, I've been sailing through life happily thinking that an adjective is a noun modifier!

When I read your post, noun modifier sounded like a word that modifies a noun - and I thought that's what an adjective is. So I just looked it up. Apparently it's, more specifically, a noun that modifies a noun.

Does that mean ir can't also be an adjective? The more I learn, the less I know.

And, Luxury, would you accept noun modifiers as well as adjectives? (I'll bet you'd be glad to!)

 

[Tarheel]

Charlie, what's a noun modifier if it's not an adjective? Simply put, a word can be more than one thing. It might be a noun sometimes and an adjective other times.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Charlie, what's a noun modifier if it's not an adjective? Simply put, a word can be more than one thing. It might be a noun sometimes and an adjective other times.

Yeah, that's what I'be always thought. Piscean has set me straight - again!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

One of the main functions of an adjective is to modify a noun.

Noun modifiers, nouns which modify other nouns, are functioning in the way that adjectives normally do, but that does not make them adjectives. Unlike adjectives, they cannot be modfiied by adverbs, and they have no comparative or superlative forms.

Thanks, Piscean. You're the umbrellaest!

 

[jutfrank]

My first suggestion was the word simple.

It's amazing that such a simple word as blue can have such depth of meaning.

Is this close to what you mean?

 

[luxury20041985]

Technically speaking, umbrella is a noun. However, as others have said, it doesn't matter since I can find "umbrella term" as a phrase in dictionaries. For example, https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/umbrella-term.


It's amazing that such a simple word as blue can have such depth of meaning. =That is close to what I want to express.

Let me give you the context. These sentences are the edited version of my first paragraph in my essay (https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/269671-A-Personal-Essay-about-the-color-of-blue), which Tarheel is kindly helping me edit. I go on to talk about "blue" is a color and an emotion. "blue" means a lot to me.

"I don’t know where to begin; it’s not easy to describe the different shades of blue. Is the word blue, an all-inclusive term, not sufficient?"

The second sentence is not meant to be a question. It is a rhetorical question. I don't need to describe the different shades of blue because when the word blue appears on its own, it is powerful enough.

Apologize for not being clear about my question. Is there a word better than "all-inclusive" here? It still needs to collocate with the word "term". I am not sure "myriad" "infinite" and "endless" collocates with the word "term". However, I want to use an adjective or noun to express two meanings: First, it is an all-inclusive term. Secondly, I am impressed by this all-inclusiveness.

 

[jutfrank]

all-inclusive is not the right word choice.

I don't think you should use the word term, either. It seems to me that simple word expresses what you mean.

I'm not sure about the coherence between these two sentences, either. I mean that they don't appear to connect well. Are you talking only about the word blue covering many different shades? Or are you talking about emotions and other things as well?

 

[luxury20041985]

I am talking only about the word blue covering many different shades.

Perhaps I should change it to ""I don’t know where to begin; it’s not easy to describe the different shades of blue. Is such a simple word as blue not sufficient?"

 

[tedmc]

Apologize for not being clear about my question. Is there a word better than "all-inclusive" here? It still needs to collocate with the word "term". I am not sure "myriad" "infinite" and "endless" collocates with the word "term". However, I want to use an adjective or noun to express two meanings: First, it is an all-inclusive term. Secondly, I am impressed by this all-inclusiveness.

How about comprehensive/all-pervasive/universal/versatile?

Blue is but one colour in the spectrum of colours, so I think your description is over-exaggerated. The effect of the other colours are not any less than blue. All colours have psychological effects on people and evoke different feelings and emotions.

 

[luxury20041985]

How about comprehensive/all-pervasive/universal/versatile?

Blue is but one colour in the spectrum of colours, so I think your description is over-exaggerated. The effect of the other colours are not any less than blue. All colours have psychological effects on people and evoke different feelings and emotions. [/COLOR]

True, Tedmc. I think everyone can have their own favorite color.

 

[luxury20041985]

How about comprehensive/all-pervasive/universal/versatile? [/COLOR]

I would pick "all-pervasive" . Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[probus]

@Charlie Bernstein

Usingenglish.com introduced me to Universal Grammar, which I think was first described in his doctoral thesis by Noam Chomsky, often called the father of modern linguistics. I am no expert in it, but it was very interesting to explore superficially. It is quite different from and much more powerful than the grammar we were taught in elementary school.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Technically speaking, umbrella is a noun. However, as others have said, it doesn't matter since I can find "umbrella term" as a phrase in dictionaries. For example, https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/umbrella-term.


It's amazing that such a simple word as blue can have such depth of meaning. =That is close to what I want to express.

Let me give you the context. These sentences are the edited version of my first paragraph in my essay (https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/269671-A-Personal-Essay-about-the-color-of-blue), which Tarheel is kindly helping me edit. I go on to talk about "blue" is a color and an emotion. "blue" means a lot to me.

"I don’t know where to begin; it’s not easy to describe the different shades of blue. Is the word blue, an all-inclusive term, not sufficient?"

It's still not clear what's all-inclusive about blue. Blue doesn't include everything. It's a color.

The second sentence is not meant to be a question. It is a rhetorical question.

Sorry, I didn't recognize it as rhetorical. Now I know!

I don't need to describe the different shades of blue because when the word blue appears on its own, it is powerful enough.

It really depends on the context. It's not a word I usually think of as powerful.

Apologize for not being clear about my question. Is there a word better than "all-inclusive" here?

You might be looking for a word we don't have.

It still needs to collocate with the word "term".

It sounds like you want a word that can go before term. If that's right, you got a good suggestion above: simple term.

I am not sure "myriad" "infinite" and "endless" collocates with the word "term".

You're right, they don't at all.

However, I want to use an adjective or noun to express two meanings: First, it is an all-inclusive term.

Few words are all-inclusive, and I can't think of any adjectives (or noun modifiers!) that are.

Secondly, I am impressed by this all-inclusiveness.

You're trying to fit a lot into one word!

There's no word that says all that. I agree with Jutfrank, who's usually right. Say simple and move on.

 

[Tdol]

Blue is but one colour in the spectrum of colours

I have read that Russian speakers have different words for light and dark blue, which they regard as different colours, so what we may see as fixed points with gradations may be different things in other cultures, which would probably be a weak version of the Sapir Whorf hypothesis. I can certainly disagree with my Japanese wife about what colour some things are- she says pink and I say orange.

 

[tedmc]

I have read that Russian speakers have different words for light and dark blue, which they regard as different colours, so what we may see as fixed points with gradations may be different things in other cultures, which would probably be a weak version of the Sapir Whorf hypothesis. I can certainly disagree with my Japanese wife about what colour some things are- she says pink and I say orange.

Within the colour blue, there are also different names in English for the different shades such as navy blue, azure, baby blue , turquoise, cobalt, etc. The same goes with the other colours.