. . . smothering . . . into piles of dust . . . vs. . . . smothering remnants of fire . . .

[shootingstar]

"Nothing. She tried again.
Nora was ready to live (Nora wrote in the book).
Still nothing, even when she underlined the word 'live'.
Everywhere now, there was breakage and ruination. The ceiling was falling, razing everything, smothering each of the bookshelves into piles of dust. She gaped over and saw the figure of Mrs Elm out from under the desk where she had been sheltering Nora, standing there without any fear at all then disappearing comletely as the roof caved in almost everywhere, smothering remnants of fire and shelf stacks and all else."
( The source: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig , episode Don't You Dare Give Up, Nora Seed! )

Hello there! Please, what does "smothering . . .into piles of dust" and what does "smothering remnants of fire" mean there? I think the meaning of "smother" differs in the two cases.

 

[emsr2d2]

The word "smothering" means the same in both cases but the result of the smothering is different. In the first, the ceiling smothered the bookshelves until they collapsed and were crushed into dust. In the second, the roof caved in and smothered everything, extinguishing any remaining flames.

 

[shootingstar]

OK then. You are using "smother" to define "smother" in both your explanations. And you are saying the word "smother"/"smothering" means the same in both the cases. Then I have to ask: What does "smother" mean at both those places?

 

[emsr2d2]

OK then. You are using "smother" to define "smother" in both your explanations. And you are saying the word "smother"/"smothering" means the same in both the cases. Then I have to ask: What does "smother" mean at both those places?

What definitions of "smother" did you find when you looked the word up in a couple of good dictionaries? You didn't ask what "smother" means. I assumed you already understood roughly what it meant but simply thought it had a slightly different nuance when attached to "into piles of dust" from when it's attached to "remnants of fire".

 

[Edward B]

OK then. You are using "smother" to define "smother" in both your explanations. And you are saying the word "smother"/"smothering" means the same in both the cases. Then I have to ask: What does "smother" mean at both those places?

The bookshelves were smothered (covered)
The fire was smothered (deprived of oxygen)

Read the piece again, but substitute the bracketed words in your mind.

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you very much. I think you are perfectly right as to "remnants of fire". However, does the meaning "deprived of oxygen" match "shelf stacks" as well? Maybe, that doesn't matter in English and the English understand "smother" by some means or other, depening on which words are referred to. As for "smothering remnants of fire and shelf stacks and all else" I think the meaning of "smother" must be identical both for "remnants of fire" and "shelf stacks".

 

[SoothingDave]

"Smother" originates from Middle English smorther (13th century) and smortheren (verb), derived from Old English smorian (“to suffocate, choke”). It initially referred to dense, stifling smoke, or "that which suffocates," stemming from Proto-Germanic smurōnō (to
strangle).

You are thinking of only one meaning. It originally meant to cover with smoke, which resulted in suffocation.

By extension, the word can also mean to cover completely. The fire was deprived of oxygen (because the falling roof covered it). The book shelves were completely covered by ceiling debris.

In both cases the "smothering" is the covering.

 

[Glizdka]

Words having multiple meanings is what allows for puns and cheesy jokes English wouldn't be as fun without.

Smother has more than one meaning. The author clearly uses two different meanings of the same word, perhaps for stylistic purposes and, well, fun.

 

[emsr2d2]

Smother has more than one meaning. The author clearly uses two different meanings of the same word, perhaps for stylistic purposes and, well, fun.

Please explain what those two different meanings are.

 

[Glizdka]

Please explain what those two different meanings are.

I'm doing it again, amn't aren't I?

I was referring to Edward's post:

The bookshelves were smothered (covered)
The fire was smothered (deprived of oxygen)

Read the piece again, but substitute the bracketed words in your mind.

These were the two different meanings I mentioned.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was referring to Edward's post:

Please make sure you quote the relevant post when you're responding.