When is it appropriate to use "each other" vs. "one another"?

[stoopbeck.livejournal.com]

orion117 asks, “When is it appropriate to use “each other” vs. “one another”?



With examples from Psych, NCIS, Supernatural, Farscape, Burn Notice, and Criminal Minds.


Many experts will tell you that each other should be used only when dealing with two people in reciprocal action or relation, and one another should be used only with three or more. However, this isn’t completely true. There was no distinction between the phrases until the eighteenth century, and many famous writers from William Shakespeare to Noah Webster have used them interchangeably. In fact, Dictionary.com’s definition of each other is “one another,” and Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary agrees.

To make things more confusing, some critics argue that since each other is a placeholder for “each the other,” it should be used only for two people. The problem with this logic is that one another was originally “the one the other,” which also implies a two-person usage.

While it would seem that there is no reason grammatically to differentiate between the two phrases, the important thing to remember here is that the common practice of creating a distinction between the two has become accepted into writing style, and major publications (not to mention anyone reading your work) are going to side with common usage on this issue.

So let’s look at the common usage. Each other primarily deals with two people.

Shawn and Gus looked at each other in surprise.

Tony and Kate were still verbally sniping at each other as they left the building.

One another is most commonly used when referring to three or more individuals.

John, Sam, and Dean Winchester had one another’s fighting styles memorized.

It took a while for Moya’s crew to really understand one another.

Possessives

The hardest thing to remember with each other and one another is the correct possessive form. It is easy to assume that since both phrases are dealing with multiple people the possessive form would be each others’ and one anothers’. This is not the case. Remember, “other” and “one another” are singular. It is always each other’s and one another’s.

WRONG: Michael and Fi looked deeply into each others’ eyes.

CORRECT: Michael and Fi looked deeply into each other’s eyes.


WRONG: Agents in the BAU rely heavily upon one anothers’ instincts.

CORRECT: Agents in the BAU rely heavily upon one another’s instincts.

Summary

While either usage is perfectly respectable, it is more acceptable to use each other for two people and one another for three or more.




References:
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Dictionary.com
Language Corner: Each Other/One Another
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
World Wide Words: One Another

Comments

[avidrosette.livejournal.com]

Useful piece. Thanks!

[stoopbeck.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[wivern.livejournal.com]

Interesting. And useful.

[deaka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. I appreciated the note on possessives, because I've wondered about that in the past. In fact, I think I reworded my sentence in the end, because neither looking quite right. Now I know. :p

[orion117.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That was very clear, especially the section about the possessives.

It's interesting to see how much usage and grammar shift over time.