Questions come to mind about different definitions of "surround."  By one
definition (used in the first two sources you quote), a peninsula can be
"surrounded by water on three sides." In your third source, a peninsula is "
*almost *completely surrounded" by water. The Free Dictionary gives these
definitions:

sur·round  (s-round)
*tr.v.* *sur·round·ed*, *sur·round·ing*, *sur·rounds*
*1. * To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle.
*2. * To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside
communication.

This raises the question: can a peninsula be said to be "surrounded" by
water since it is isn't enclosed on every side? I've had great class
discussions on semantic questions like this one.

Dick


On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 5:52 PM, Carol Morrison <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> According to Answers.com or Wiki answers:
>
> "A piece of land that is surrounded by water on only three sides and
> connected to a main land mass on one side is called a peninsula. Florida
> would be a good example."
>
> And from www.enchantedlearning.com:
>
> "A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides."
>
> From dictionary.com:
>
> Peninsula-an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for
> an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.
>
> Dick, you raise some very interesting questions. I do think that I can
> picture a peninsula more accurately by describing it as "surrounded on three
> sides" by water, otherwise, "surrounded by" does seem to imply that water
> would completely encircle the land mass making it an island.
>
> Since the "problem" sentence occurred in the textbook under word "usage"
> problems, I would concur that the word being misused is *surrounded*,
> which is what I think I remember Bill saying.
>
> Carol
>
>
>
> --- On *Fri, 9/30/11, Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]>
>
> Subject: Re: Word usage problem?
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, September 30, 2011, 4:58 PM
>
> This raises many questions:
>
> How many sides can something be surrounded by?
> Can we say, "Panama is surrounded by oceans on two sides"?
> Can we say, "L.A. is surrounded by the Pacific on one side"?
> Do we assume things have four sides? If so, why?
> If a peninsula is bordered by water on three of four sides, is it
> surrounded at all?
>
> Here's a somewhat related question: If a squirrel is clinging to the side
> of a large oak tree, and if you walk all the way around the tree trying to
> see the squirrel, who keeps moving to stay on the opposite side of the tree
> from you, then you have walked around the tree, but have you walked around
> the squirrel?
>
> Dick
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Carol Morrison <[log in to unmask]<[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http:[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
>
>   Dear List Members:
>
> This morning in class, the students and I came across a sentence in their
> grammar handbook that apparently contains a misusage of some sort that we
> could not identify:
>
> The Keweenaw Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by Lake Superior.
>
> The only explanation we could some up with is that "three sides" should be
> replaced with "all sides" because a peninsula only has three sides and an
> isthmus. Or does it have two sides?
>
> Best-
>
> Carol
>
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