on both sides/on the two sides

Question

a. The conflict claimed about two hundred lives on all sides.

b. The conflict claimed about two hundred lives on the three sides.

Do those mean

1. all in all there were two hundred lives lost

or

2. there were two hundred lives lost on each side ?

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c. The feud claimed ten lives on both sides.

d. The feud claimed ten lives on the two sides.

Do these mean

3. all in all there were ten lives lost.

or

4. there were ten lives lost on each side ?

Many thanks.

Answer 1

It is rather ambiguous.

...claimed 200 lives on both sides

I'd understand this to mean a total of 400 people were killed.

... claimed 200 lives on all sides

I would not use this. If I read it, I'd be uncertain exactly what was intended.

Instead, I would use something like

Each side lost 200 lives in the fighting.

or

A total of 200 lives were lost during the conflict.