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There are two Tonys who make videos each on their own. I watch their videos seperately.

1 I watched one of the Tonys' videos. (It sounds as I watched a specific video made by one of the Tonys)

What if I want to say that I watched not a specific video but some video.

2 I watched a video of one of the Tonys' videos. (It sounds akward, but that's how I think it should be composed.)

Is my 2 correct?

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    Yes, your #2 is fine.
    – Paul Tanenbaum
    Commented Aug 21, 2023 at 21:40
  • If you watched one video, of course it was a specific one even if you don't choose to say which one it was. 'One of the videos' means an unspecified one unless you identify it.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 7:53
  • What is the communication point here? Why do you want to use the name, but not the identity?
    – James K
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 9:01
  • How can you use identity without using a name?
    – user1425
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 10:11
  • Kate Bunting, everything is specific. But a specific video doesn't become the specific video.
    – user1425
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 10:15

1 Answer 1

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This is a very artificial situation. Two people called Tony who make videos, and you want to specify that you watch a video by one of them, but not specify which one... So realistically this is not a problem.

(2) doesn't work because it states you watched a video of a video (eg someone pointing their camera at the screen showing a video)

(1) means one video made by one of the two people named Tony. Saying "The Tonys" means that you are treating them as a single group of two people. It's all a bit awkward.

So really what is the communication point here?? Why is the name but not the identity of the person who made the video important? What do you mean by "not a specific video?" If you want to say "some video" that is possible, treat "video" as uncountable:

I watched some video that Tony made.

Of course it is ambiguous, but that is exactly the ambiguity you asked for. The fact that there is another person who makes video with the same name is irrelevant but if you insist:

I watched some video that one of the Tonys made.

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  • Why didn't you suggest "I watched a video of one of the Tonys' "?
    – user1425
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 10:14
  • Because I'd assume that was a video featuring Tony, not made by Tony. Also I'm not keen on the "one of the Tonys". But, this is all a very unlikely situation. It's not very clear why you must use "Tony" instead of name that wouldn't be ambiguous. "I watched one of Tony Smith's videos".
    – James K
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 13:37
  • Now we are facing the complexity of language. Good Lord! How much labour it takes to come to understanding. From the start I meant a video made by Tony.
    – user1425
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 15:10
  • Remember though (and this is very important) People will want to understand you! People will use their knowledge of the two people named Tony to understand. The listener is not a passive receiver of your words. They are an active interpreter, and they can and will respond, ask questions, and engage with you. Yes, this is the complexity of language, but this complexity works in your favour. You work with the other person to achieve understanding, not against them
    – James K
    Commented Aug 22, 2023 at 19:50
  • I am sorry, did I say I didn't want people to understand me? But before they can understand me I need to understand how to say what I want.
    – user1425
    Commented Aug 23, 2023 at 22:08

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