yesteryears (с info.study.ru)

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Автор: thinker

He-he
I thought I knew all the words for Y.
Today found a new one. YESTERYEAR
Is it another form of 'last year' or 'in the years of yore'?
Any variants?

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Автор: chk

Nice find.

Long, long ago, in times of yore. It does not mean "last year". Just look it up in any dictionary. Also since it's an adverb I think, it does not have a plural.

As a kid I would never miss the radio and later TV program (shows my age, doesn't it?) The Lone Ranger:

"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver! The Lone Ranger"...then the Masked Man would ride in and we would hear..."With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful Masked Rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early West! Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! The Lone Ranger rides again"...

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Ranger-4pc-John-Hart/dp/B00007GZWJ

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Автор: chk

P.S.

The theme song was Rossini's William Tell Overture.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3115213134814599261

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Автор: Скабичевский

- I saw her yesterdays.
- Ну, и как же это будет по русски?
- Я видел ее вчерась.

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Автор: ???

'It does not mean "last year". Just look it up in any dictionary.'

I did.

1 : last year
2 : time gone by; especially : the recent past
- yesteryear adverb

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/yesteryear

???

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Автор: asil

I agree with Chaika on this one: it is not used in the meaning of "last year". After all, you can just say, "Last year blah-blah-blah"
http://www.dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=92003&dict=CALD

However, I believe it can be used in the plural form:
My adventures of yesteryears
or
Europe of yesteryears.

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Автор: ???

Well, I hope at least that it was used in that meaning in some forgotten yesteryear. They (Merriam-Webster) couldn't just make it up, could they?

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Автор: sy

As a native speaker of English, I must say that I do not recall ever having heard it in the plural. "Yesteryears" just sounds wrong to me.

Furthermore, I don't think I've ever heard it used to mean "last year" either. I was very surprised to find that Webster lists it so.

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Автор: chk

I would say that m-w.com is totally off the wall with their definitions. I have never heard "yesteryear" used for either "last year" or "the recent past". It is always the far off past, like say 100 years or so. Messrs. Miriam and Webster suck eggs on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if they have "yestermonth" in that dictionary!!!

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Автор: asil

I don't know... As far as I am concerned www.dictionary.cambridge.org is the most reliable online dictionary. So whatever dictionary you use check the word against it, just to be on the safer side.

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Автор: Dasha-sha <d.volobueva [ @ ] mail.ru>

Is this Asil, that I knew a couple of years ago?
I have different last name, but it doesn't change anything...

Sorry If I'm mistaken...

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Автор: asil

Sorry, but it's very unlikely that I am the same asil. Anyway, asil is not my name but my nick.

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Автор: serg


http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/yesteryear.html


yes·ter·year [ yéstər yr ]
noun
Definition:
1. the past: the not very recent past
2. last year: the year before this one

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Автор: chaika

Don't believe everything you read in books. I have never in my life heard anyone use "yesteryear" to mean "last year", even jokingly. "Yesteryear" is a folksy (or old-timey) way to say "many years ago." It is humorous. Nobody would use it in normal conversation, it always has this nuance.

Think of tridevyatoe carstvo. You would not use this in normal conversation either, and it has its own nuances. Very similar to "yesteryear."

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Автор: sy

If anyone thinks they're being smart by using "yesteryear" to mean "last year", they couldn't be more wrong.

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Автор: pupsoid <pupsoid1 [ @ ] yandex.ru>

Dear Boiz and girls,
Why do you want to complicate all this sh.... ? Yesterf.... ingwhatever! The dictionary says You use yesteryear to refer to the past, often a period in the past with a set of values or a way of life that no longer exists. ( LITERARY )
Do you live in a book? F.. that.
I saw that chick yestermonth (=heheheheheehe)

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Автор: hh

I prefer to use the language correctly. It matters not to me whether others, such as youself, speak correctly or not. Poor speech is a reflection on those that use it, not on those who don't.

Coming up with nonsense like "boiz" and "yestermonth" is ignorance, not innovation.