determiners - What is the difference between “any” or ”every”?


Consider:



The system is deterministic if any two runs produce the same result.



Can I say every instead of any in every such sentence?



Answer



Any is polysemous.


AHD:



any [quantifier]



  1. One, some, every, or all without specification



choosing examples:



Are there any messages for me?



[meaning one or some]



Any child would love that.



[meaning every]


But



The system is deterministic if any two runs produce the same result.



is itself an example of a scope ambiguity:


Do we mean


The system is deterministic if there have been / are any two runs producing the same result.


or


The system is deterministic if all the possible selected pairs of runs produce the same result. (when it would be clearer just to say The system is deterministic if all runs produce the same result).


Perhaps a clearer illustration of this ambiguity is:


If any child can afford to come [we'll ask their parents to contribute to the new library].


If any child can afford to come [we'll need two coaches].


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