[Vocabulary] Apparently

[englishhobby]

I am struggling with the word apparently. Before I thought that it means the same as obviously, then a native speaker told me that I misuse it, but he had no time to explain why. Then I thought that it's more like seemingly and had been almost sure I got it right until I found this:

A violinist placed in one of these (anechoic) rooms was apparently banging on the door within a matter of seconds trying to get out.

What does apparently mean in this sentence? :shock:
Source: https://youtu.be/mXVGIb3bzHI?t=186

 

[emsr2d2]

It means that you don't know it for certain but you have heard the information from someone else.

"Apparently, there are only five Bengali blue lizards left in the wild". (I made up the animal, by the way!) I have heard or read that this is true but I don't have any personal knowledge or evidence of it.

I can see where your confusion came from because when people say "It is quite apparent that ...", they mean "It is quite obvious that ..." or "It is quite clear that ...".

 

[andrewg927]

"Apparently" has different meanings. According to dictionary.com, "it appears that; as far as one knows; seemingly."

 

[englishhobby]

Those are not so different.

For me it's like chalk and cheese Apparently, I can't put seemingly in this context:

A violinist placed in one of these (anechoic) rooms was apparently banging on the door ...

 

[englishhobby]

It means that you don't know it for certain but you have heard the information from someone else.

Thank you very much really. Now, apparently, I understand. (Can I say so, by the way?) So it's closer to "They say ..." in the context with the violonist, right?

 

[andrewg927]

Those are not so different.

Well, subtle differences. But those meanings are not the same, evidenced by Englishhobby's confusion.

 

[andrewg927]

Now, apparently, I understand.

I don't believe that is the best way to use "apparently". You could just say "Now I understand".

 

[andrewg927]

So it's closer to "They say ..." in the context with the [STRIKE]violonist[/STRIKE] violinist, right?

I looked at the Youtube video. You should interpret the sentence as such, "as far as we know, the violinist was banging on the door."

 

[englishhobby]

I prefer ems's version in post#2.

It's close to "They say...", isn't it? ("It means that you don't know it for certain but you have heard the information from someone else.")

 

[jutfrank]

It simply means that he heard or read that story from someone or somewhere. He wasn't there at the time.