X was engraved in/on the cover. I instinctively went with in, given the nature of engraving. Google Docs suggests changing it, and while software usually can't parse my spicy prose, it might be right here. Common examples seem to use on. Does it even matter? If it does matter, can someone rationalize it?
I have not looked it up , my feeling is when you engrave something you are cutting or scratching into the material. However , it could be said that an object has an egraving on it when referring to the completed engraving , rather than the process.
Thank you for the replies. @More, I see what you mean. That makes sense. There is an engraving on a surface, but I engrave something in a surface. That does explain why on seems to be more common. @SethLoki I like that phrasing, and it's a good way to solve the problem, though I can't help but feel it will come up again. I guess my curiosity was more piqued than anything.
"Engraved on" gets used twice as often as "engraved in." To me, "engraved in" implies a greater depth. It seems more inseparable. Like, an epitaph engraved in stone has become one with the stone. Very zen. An epitaph engraved on stone seems less permanent, almost like the message has been tacked on. Both are used freely. That's how I would distinguish, but who's to say?
This just tweaked my curiosity so I checked several dictionaries. They are consistent. When used as a verb, you do it into a surface. When used as an adjective or noun, then it’s on the surface. And it always on a surface. That makes sense when you think about it.
I've never heard anyone say engraved 'in'... ever. Are you sure you aren't confusing the word with 'ingrained' ?
Nope. I was thinking about the nature of engraving. "Engraved in the cover" sounds perfectly natural to me. The act, to me, is cutting or carving (or having cut or carved) into something, not onto. Verb or not. But I am the weird one here. It does appear that 'on' is more common. Thanks for the research @KiraAnn and @Seven Crowns.
