Is “urban-rural gap” proper English or just an awkward translation from Chinese?
I came across this phrase when I was reading a research paper. Here's a quote from the abstract:
I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation.
After doing some research on the internet, I've found out that "urban-rural gap" is frequently used on Chinese and Taiwanese news sites. Personally, I've never seen this wording before so I'm not sure if this is a direct translation from Chinese. Is this proper English or just an artifact of a word-for-word translation?
syntax compound-adjectives
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
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add a comment |
I came across this phrase when I was reading a research paper. Here's a quote from the abstract:
I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation.
After doing some research on the internet, I've found out that "urban-rural gap" is frequently used on Chinese and Taiwanese news sites. Personally, I've never seen this wording before so I'm not sure if this is a direct translation from Chinese. Is this proper English or just an artifact of a word-for-word translation?
syntax compound-adjectives
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I came across this phrase when I was reading a research paper. Here's a quote from the abstract:
I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation.
After doing some research on the internet, I've found out that "urban-rural gap" is frequently used on Chinese and Taiwanese news sites. Personally, I've never seen this wording before so I'm not sure if this is a direct translation from Chinese. Is this proper English or just an artifact of a word-for-word translation?
syntax compound-adjectives
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I came across this phrase when I was reading a research paper. Here's a quote from the abstract:
I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation.
After doing some research on the internet, I've found out that "urban-rural gap" is frequently used on Chinese and Taiwanese news sites. Personally, I've never seen this wording before so I'm not sure if this is a direct translation from Chinese. Is this proper English or just an artifact of a word-for-word translation?
syntax compound-adjectives
syntax compound-adjectives
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
edited 2 hours ago
Mitch
52.2k15105217
52.2k15105217
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
113
asked 16 hours ago
DavidRossDavidRoss
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113
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DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
DavidRoss is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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add a comment |
add a comment |
3 Answers
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votes
As a native speaker of UK English, former language teacher and currently a full-time translator, the phrase seems perfectly natural to me. It's just another way of describing the difference between town and country.
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
add a comment |
Google ngrams (which searches many published books) gives some usage for the phrase "urban-rural", which peaks towards about 1990. There are no hits for "urban-rural gap".
The usage of "urban-rural" varies. You can have "urban-rural areas" or "urban-rural" interactions. These are in in British English and American English results. I think that the reason that your search is skewed towards Chinese and Taiwanese news sites is likely to do with current study on the urban-rural gap in those countries. It may be a direct translation in those instances, but it is an understandable combination of English words, and has been used in previous works, too.
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
add a comment |
the urban-rural gap is not a phrase I've heard used by US news outlets but would assume it refers to a disparity of some kind, probably in income, between urban populations on average and rural populations.
P.S. The pattern the adjective-adjective noun is well-established. The pattern often presents an opposition. Compare:
the male-female divide
the Catholic-Protestant schism
the lunar-solar conflict
the liberal-conservative split
You will sometimes see a slash:
the federalist/anti-federalist debate
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
As a native speaker of UK English, former language teacher and currently a full-time translator, the phrase seems perfectly natural to me. It's just another way of describing the difference between town and country.
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
add a comment |
As a native speaker of UK English, former language teacher and currently a full-time translator, the phrase seems perfectly natural to me. It's just another way of describing the difference between town and country.
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
add a comment |
As a native speaker of UK English, former language teacher and currently a full-time translator, the phrase seems perfectly natural to me. It's just another way of describing the difference between town and country.
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
As a native speaker of UK English, former language teacher and currently a full-time translator, the phrase seems perfectly natural to me. It's just another way of describing the difference between town and country.
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
answered 15 hours ago
user218195user218195
41724
41724
add a comment |
add a comment |
Google ngrams (which searches many published books) gives some usage for the phrase "urban-rural", which peaks towards about 1990. There are no hits for "urban-rural gap".
The usage of "urban-rural" varies. You can have "urban-rural areas" or "urban-rural" interactions. These are in in British English and American English results. I think that the reason that your search is skewed towards Chinese and Taiwanese news sites is likely to do with current study on the urban-rural gap in those countries. It may be a direct translation in those instances, but it is an understandable combination of English words, and has been used in previous works, too.
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
add a comment |
Google ngrams (which searches many published books) gives some usage for the phrase "urban-rural", which peaks towards about 1990. There are no hits for "urban-rural gap".
The usage of "urban-rural" varies. You can have "urban-rural areas" or "urban-rural" interactions. These are in in British English and American English results. I think that the reason that your search is skewed towards Chinese and Taiwanese news sites is likely to do with current study on the urban-rural gap in those countries. It may be a direct translation in those instances, but it is an understandable combination of English words, and has been used in previous works, too.
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
add a comment |
Google ngrams (which searches many published books) gives some usage for the phrase "urban-rural", which peaks towards about 1990. There are no hits for "urban-rural gap".
The usage of "urban-rural" varies. You can have "urban-rural areas" or "urban-rural" interactions. These are in in British English and American English results. I think that the reason that your search is skewed towards Chinese and Taiwanese news sites is likely to do with current study on the urban-rural gap in those countries. It may be a direct translation in those instances, but it is an understandable combination of English words, and has been used in previous works, too.
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
Google ngrams (which searches many published books) gives some usage for the phrase "urban-rural", which peaks towards about 1990. There are no hits for "urban-rural gap".
The usage of "urban-rural" varies. You can have "urban-rural areas" or "urban-rural" interactions. These are in in British English and American English results. I think that the reason that your search is skewed towards Chinese and Taiwanese news sites is likely to do with current study on the urban-rural gap in those countries. It may be a direct translation in those instances, but it is an understandable combination of English words, and has been used in previous works, too.
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
answered 15 hours ago
PamPam
4,4531731
4,4531731
add a comment |
add a comment |
the urban-rural gap is not a phrase I've heard used by US news outlets but would assume it refers to a disparity of some kind, probably in income, between urban populations on average and rural populations.
P.S. The pattern the adjective-adjective noun is well-established. The pattern often presents an opposition. Compare:
the male-female divide
the Catholic-Protestant schism
the lunar-solar conflict
the liberal-conservative split
You will sometimes see a slash:
the federalist/anti-federalist debate
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
the urban-rural gap is not a phrase I've heard used by US news outlets but would assume it refers to a disparity of some kind, probably in income, between urban populations on average and rural populations.
P.S. The pattern the adjective-adjective noun is well-established. The pattern often presents an opposition. Compare:
the male-female divide
the Catholic-Protestant schism
the lunar-solar conflict
the liberal-conservative split
You will sometimes see a slash:
the federalist/anti-federalist debate
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
the urban-rural gap is not a phrase I've heard used by US news outlets but would assume it refers to a disparity of some kind, probably in income, between urban populations on average and rural populations.
P.S. The pattern the adjective-adjective noun is well-established. The pattern often presents an opposition. Compare:
the male-female divide
the Catholic-Protestant schism
the lunar-solar conflict
the liberal-conservative split
You will sometimes see a slash:
the federalist/anti-federalist debate
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
the urban-rural gap is not a phrase I've heard used by US news outlets but would assume it refers to a disparity of some kind, probably in income, between urban populations on average and rural populations.
P.S. The pattern the adjective-adjective noun is well-established. The pattern often presents an opposition. Compare:
the male-female divide
the Catholic-Protestant schism
the lunar-solar conflict
the liberal-conservative split
You will sometimes see a slash:
the federalist/anti-federalist debate
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
edited 2 hours ago
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
answered 12 hours ago
TRomanoTRomano
16.9k21946
16.9k21946
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
1
1
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
Can you suggest why it is a natural grammatical form ('urban-rural' is noun attribute, but even moreso a noun-noun attribute)?
– Mitch
11 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
@Mitch: What do you mean by "natural grammatical form"? Not ungrammatical? urban and rural are adjectives, BTW, but adjectives can be nominalized. I don't see it in any way different from phrases like the male-female divide.
– TRomano
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
TRomano: oops, right, both adjectives. The OP is asking if 'urban-rural' is grammatical, and it is, even formally. But I don't have a copy of CGEL to check if has been recognized. I'm sure it's not a pattern taught in EFL classes.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
@Mitch. Where exactly does OP ask that? In the title? "proper English"?
– TRomano
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
Yes, the title.
– Mitch
2 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
DavidRoss is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
DavidRoss is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
DavidRoss is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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