reigning heavyweight champion

[GoesStation]

Is this really different in AmE? GoesStation?

Would one really say The New England Patriots is the reigning champion?

No. We use are for team names with a plural form. I don't follow sports so I'm actually not sure what the practice is for singular-form names like the New Orleans Jazz.

 

[GoesStation]

Then reigning champion=present champion and last champion=previous champion?

Yes.

 

[hhtt21]

Yes.

But this somehow seems strange to me because in Turkish we literally say last champion=current champion=present champion and this is logical because there is the first champion and there should be the last one and the word last is the antonym of the word first.

Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

Welcome to the world of language.

 

[andrewg927]

Is this really different in AmE? GoesStation?

Would one really say The New England Patriots is the reigning champion?

In the NFL, all of our teams are plural so we use "are". In cases like the Miami Heat, I have heard it both ways.

 

[jutfrank]

Remember that the word last has multiple meanings and uses. Often it means the one before now (last week/last year). Maybe the Turkish word you are thinking of corresponds to latest.

 

[jutfrank]

In the NFL, all of our teams are plural so we use "are". In cases like the Miami Heat, I have heard it both ways.

I'm surprised by this. So might you hear a commentator say "The Patriots are leading but the Heat is making a comeback!"?

(Sorry about the rubbish example.)

 

[GoesStation]

I'm surprised by this. So might you hear a commentator say "The Patriots are leading but the Heat is making a comeback!"?

With the caveat that I don't follow sports, I'd find that perfectly natural. Hearing either is or are in both places would be jarring.

 

[hhtt21]

One of the meanings of 'last' in English is 'previous', You'll just have to live with that.

Remember that the word last has multiple meanings and uses. Often it means the one before now (last week/last year). Maybe the Turkish word you are thinking of corresponds to latest.

But there is a famous movie called "the last samurai" and there is a famous novel called "the last of the Mohicans". So is the last samurai=the previous samurai or the last samurai=the latest samurai?

Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

One of the meanings of 'last' in English is 'previous', You'll just have to live with that.

I may have written that in my last post in this thread.

 

[emsr2d2]

Neither. It means that there were no other Samurai after him. As you now know, there are different meanings of the word "last".

Last week, I ate steak three times. Last week = the week before this one = the previous week.
The reigning king is called Stephen. The last king was called David. Last king = the king before this one = the previous king.

I have eaten my last apple. I have to go shopping. Last apple = the only apple remaining in my house
He was the last king of Scotland. Last king = after him, there were no more kings of Scotland.

Sometimes, words and phrases have more than one meaning. Context makes the meaning clear (to native speakers, at least).

I missed the last bus so I'll have to get the next one. (I missed the bus that was due to come before the one I'm now planning to catch.)
I missed the last bus so I'll have to walk home. (I missed the bus which was the last one of the day going where I wanted to go. There are no more buses on that route until tomorrow.)

 

[hhtt21]

Neither. It means that there were no other Samurai after him. As you now know, there are different meanings of the word "last".
The reigning king is called Stephen. The last king was called David. Last king = the king before this one = the previous king.

Who is the lastest king in this situation?

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

Who is the lastest king in this situation?

Thank you.

The word I have marked in red above does not exist.

 

[GoesStation]

The reigning king is called Stephen. The last king was called David.

Who is the lastest king in this situation?

The latest king is the most recent one: Stephen, in ems's example.

 

[andrewg927]

I'm surprised by this. So might you hear a commentator say "The Patriots are leading but the Heat is making a comeback!"?

(Sorry about the rubbish example.)

The only thing wrong with this sentence is The Patriots are a football team while the Heat is a basketball team.

 

[hhtt21]

It means Melik is the current champion.

I am not a teacher.

Does current champion=recent champion here?

Thank you.

 

[teechar]

No.
current = now
recent = not any longer

Thread closed!