[Vocabulary] boundary vs border

Status
Not open for further replies.

hitinvo

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
We use Chinese boundary or Chinese border ?
Please explain (involving meanings)
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Do/should [STRIKE]W[/STRIKE]we use Chinese boundary or Chinese border ?
Please explain (involving :?: I think you mean 'including' - [/I] meanings)

Border is the boundary between two countries. ('Boundary' is more general than 'border'.)

We say [that is, English speakers say] 'Chinese border' or 'Chinese frontier'. The expression 'Chinese wall' also exists as an idiom - not to be confused with 'the Great Wall of China. Sometimes - often in a financial context - colleagues are not allowed to discuss a particular issue (for professional reasons - avoiding a 'conflict of interests'); there is said to be 'a Chinese wall' between them.

b
 

bertietheblue

Senior Member
Joined
May 21, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Border is the boundary between two countries - or between other administrative divisions ('I live near the border between Devon and Cornwall')? With 'boundary' isn't the focus more on the line that divides 2 areas whereas 'border' is a bit vaguer ('They live in the border regions of northern California')? Having said that, we wouldn't say 'boundary' in reference to countries - even the line is the 'border line'. As for 'frontier' , I don't think we say that so often in reference to countries. In most cases, we would say border - so 'the France-Italy border' not 'the France-Italy frontier' - wouldn't we? b

Bertie
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
BK: Border is the boundary between two countries
- or between other administrative divisions ('I live near the border between Devon and Cornwall')?
Yes, of course. There are nearly as many 'meanings' of 'border' as there are contexts. I was answering the question with reference to the line between countries.
With 'boundary' isn't the focus more on the line that divides 2 areas whereas 'border' is a bit vaguer ('They live in the border regions of northern California')?
That's an adjectival usage. I agree with your example, but don't see its relevance in the context of the question.
Having said that, we wouldn't say 'boundary' in reference to countries - even the line is the 'border line'.
Maybe it is where you come from. I, too, would call the boundary between England and Wales or England and Scotland a border, but between say France and Italy there's a frontier.
As for 'frontier' , I don't think we say that so often in reference to countries. In most cases, we would say border - so 'the France-Italy border' not 'the France-Italy frontier' - wouldn't we?
Not I. :)

b
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top