answers: prostrate/supine/prone, prostrate/prostate
What is the difference between "prostrate" and "supine"? (with added bonus coverage of "prone"!)
What is the difference between "prostrate" and "prostate"?
(with examples from Harry Potter, Angel, and Firefly)
Since "prostrate" is at the heart of both questions, let's define that first. "Prostrate" can be either a verb or an adjective:
prostrate (verb): 1. to cast (oneself) face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration. 2. to lay flat, as on the ground.
The thought of prostrating himself before Voldemort made Harry sick.
Illyria longed to return to her world, envisioning hordes of willing slaves prostrating themselves before her.
In both these examples, the sentence would work without the reflexive word himself/themselves, but it would still be strongly implied. The subject doesn’t just "prostrate", doesn’t just lie down on the ground--he does it to himself. It may technically be correct to use this word as verb without the reflexive "[him]self", but I can’t think of an instance where I would choose to do that. So, best to err on the safe side, and make your characters not just prostrate, but prostrate themselves. The implication of groveling or worshipping is also a very strong part of the meaning of this word, especially as a verb.
prostrate (adj.): 1. lying flat or at full length, as on the ground. 2. lying face down on the ground, as in token of humility, submission, or adoration.
Harry tried to drag the prostrate house elf back to his feet.
At the sound of gunfire, Mal dropped to the ground, and prostrate, he started crawling towards the nearest rock for cover.
As an adjective, "prostrate" offers a little more freedom to just lie there flat without groveling. We have to look at the context to understand that the prostrate house elf is humbly adoring Harry as his hero, while adoration is very far from the mind of the prostrate Captain Reynolds.
Now let's take a look at "supine", which is similar to "prostrate", with some key differences, in physical position and in attitude.
supine (adj): 1. lying on the back, face or front upward. 2. inactive, passive, or inert, esp. from indolence or indifference.
First of all, "prostrate" implies lying on the ground. I always get a sense of being facedown, but it's not specified. The definition of "supine" specifies lying on the back, face up. This is easy to remember because a person who is "supine" is lying on his "spine"! So even though we’re lying down, the actual physical posture is different.
Secondly, the attitude of the person lying down also helps you decide whether the person is "prostrate" or "supine". Someone lying prostrate has that air of humility or submission. A very religious character might lie prostrate before the altar, or someone under the Imperious Curse might be forced to prostrate himself before Voldemort. There's a worshipful or humble quality to it, at least most of the time.
Someone lying supine, on the other hand, isn't humble at all. A supine character gives a sense of reclining, being comfortable, being lazy or passive, possibly being sensual or indulging themselves.
Zoe, lying supine on the bunk, gave Wash a come-hither look.
Draco Malfoy, supine on the Slytherin common room couch, made the first years run and get him hot chocolate.
Although both words describe the act of lying down, they describe two very different ways of lying down, both in position and in attitude. Also, both words are adjectives, but don’t forget that only "prostrate" can also be a verb. Your characters may prostrate themselves with abandon, but it won’t make sense if they supine themselves.
Without going on too long, it might also be useful to mention "prone" here, as an alternative to "prostrate":
prone (adj): 1. having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable: to be prone to anger. 2. having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward. 3. lying flat; prostrate.
Since I'm prone to wordiness, we won't get into the first definition. According to the second and third definitions, "prone" means lying flat, face downward, so it’s very similar to "prostrate". However, "prone" doesn’t have that humble or submissive connotation. Someone prone really is just lying there! Consider the different meanings in these examples:
(1) As Harry came around the corner, he saw Ron, prostrate on the floor before Voldemort.
(2) As Harry came around the corner, he saw Ron, prone on the floor before Voldemort.
Only one word is different in the two sentences, but there’s a big difference in meaning: in sentence 1, Ron seems to be adoring or submitting to Voldemort, maybe begging him for mercy, while in sentence 2, Ron’s just lying there, implying that Voldemort has hurt or killed him. Harry's response as he comes around the corner depends entirely on that one word.
"Prone" does imply that the person lying down is very still, with a lack of any action at all, so you need to be careful when using this word not to make people think your character is asleep, unconscious, or dead when that's not what's going on. On the whole, though, "prone" is a good alternative to "prostrate" if you want a less emotionally charged word for "lying flat".
Moving on to part 2 of the question, "prostrate" and "prostate" may sound alike, but there's a huge difference between them. In fact, "prostate" is a noun.
prostate (noun): A firm partly muscular chestnut sized gland in males at the neck of the urethra; produces a viscid secretion that is the fluid part of semen.
Ahem. I think that speaks for itself. This word is most likely to turn up in medical examinations or sex scenes and really isn't going to get much use outside those scenarios.
Anyway, it clearly WOULD NOT DO to get these two words mixed up! That one little "r" carries a world of meaning. And spellcheck isn't going to catch this error, so I strongly suggest proofreading your stories carefully. If this is the only thing you carry away from reading this post, I will consider my job well done!
What is the difference between "prostrate" and "prostate"?
(with examples from Harry Potter, Angel, and Firefly)
Since "prostrate" is at the heart of both questions, let's define that first. "Prostrate" can be either a verb or an adjective:
prostrate (verb): 1. to cast (oneself) face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration. 2. to lay flat, as on the ground.
The thought of prostrating himself before Voldemort made Harry sick.
Illyria longed to return to her world, envisioning hordes of willing slaves prostrating themselves before her.
In both these examples, the sentence would work without the reflexive word himself/themselves, but it would still be strongly implied. The subject doesn’t just "prostrate", doesn’t just lie down on the ground--he does it to himself. It may technically be correct to use this word as verb without the reflexive "[him]self", but I can’t think of an instance where I would choose to do that. So, best to err on the safe side, and make your characters not just prostrate, but prostrate themselves. The implication of groveling or worshipping is also a very strong part of the meaning of this word, especially as a verb.
prostrate (adj.): 1. lying flat or at full length, as on the ground. 2. lying face down on the ground, as in token of humility, submission, or adoration.
Harry tried to drag the prostrate house elf back to his feet.
At the sound of gunfire, Mal dropped to the ground, and prostrate, he started crawling towards the nearest rock for cover.
As an adjective, "prostrate" offers a little more freedom to just lie there flat without groveling. We have to look at the context to understand that the prostrate house elf is humbly adoring Harry as his hero, while adoration is very far from the mind of the prostrate Captain Reynolds.
Now let's take a look at "supine", which is similar to "prostrate", with some key differences, in physical position and in attitude.
supine (adj): 1. lying on the back, face or front upward. 2. inactive, passive, or inert, esp. from indolence or indifference.
First of all, "prostrate" implies lying on the ground. I always get a sense of being facedown, but it's not specified. The definition of "supine" specifies lying on the back, face up. This is easy to remember because a person who is "supine" is lying on his "spine"! So even though we’re lying down, the actual physical posture is different.
Secondly, the attitude of the person lying down also helps you decide whether the person is "prostrate" or "supine". Someone lying prostrate has that air of humility or submission. A very religious character might lie prostrate before the altar, or someone under the Imperious Curse might be forced to prostrate himself before Voldemort. There's a worshipful or humble quality to it, at least most of the time.
Someone lying supine, on the other hand, isn't humble at all. A supine character gives a sense of reclining, being comfortable, being lazy or passive, possibly being sensual or indulging themselves.
Zoe, lying supine on the bunk, gave Wash a come-hither look.
Draco Malfoy, supine on the Slytherin common room couch, made the first years run and get him hot chocolate.
Although both words describe the act of lying down, they describe two very different ways of lying down, both in position and in attitude. Also, both words are adjectives, but don’t forget that only "prostrate" can also be a verb. Your characters may prostrate themselves with abandon, but it won’t make sense if they supine themselves.
Without going on too long, it might also be useful to mention "prone" here, as an alternative to "prostrate":
prone (adj): 1. having a natural inclination or tendency to something; disposed; liable: to be prone to anger. 2. having the front or ventral part downward; lying face downward. 3. lying flat; prostrate.
Since I'm prone to wordiness, we won't get into the first definition. According to the second and third definitions, "prone" means lying flat, face downward, so it’s very similar to "prostrate". However, "prone" doesn’t have that humble or submissive connotation. Someone prone really is just lying there! Consider the different meanings in these examples:
(1) As Harry came around the corner, he saw Ron, prostrate on the floor before Voldemort.
(2) As Harry came around the corner, he saw Ron, prone on the floor before Voldemort.
Only one word is different in the two sentences, but there’s a big difference in meaning: in sentence 1, Ron seems to be adoring or submitting to Voldemort, maybe begging him for mercy, while in sentence 2, Ron’s just lying there, implying that Voldemort has hurt or killed him. Harry's response as he comes around the corner depends entirely on that one word.
"Prone" does imply that the person lying down is very still, with a lack of any action at all, so you need to be careful when using this word not to make people think your character is asleep, unconscious, or dead when that's not what's going on. On the whole, though, "prone" is a good alternative to "prostrate" if you want a less emotionally charged word for "lying flat".
Moving on to part 2 of the question, "prostrate" and "prostate" may sound alike, but there's a huge difference between them. In fact, "prostate" is a noun.
prostate (noun): A firm partly muscular chestnut sized gland in males at the neck of the urethra; produces a viscid secretion that is the fluid part of semen.
Ahem. I think that speaks for itself. This word is most likely to turn up in medical examinations or sex scenes and really isn't going to get much use outside those scenarios.
Anyway, it clearly WOULD NOT DO to get these two words mixed up! That one little "r" carries a world of meaning. And spellcheck isn't going to catch this error, so I strongly suggest proofreading your stories carefully. If this is the only thing you carry away from reading this post, I will consider my job well done!