I am not religious, but I found this:
All of this ridiculousness got me to thinking about the difference between a present and a gift. This is what I’m thinking—when we give someone something for their birthday or for Christmas it is a present. We often call them gifts but it is really a present. Don’t get me wrong. Presents are good but they don’t usually fulfill the criteria as a gift (Although sometimes they can). A gift, especially as Paul uses the term, implies a special favor by God, another person, or nature. An example would be the gift of compassion, singing beautifully. A gift can also be something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation. In this sense I guess a present is sometimes a gift but I’m really thinking that most of the time it is not. Again, I want to say that a present is a wonderful way of saying, “I love or appreciate you.” But I don’t think that most presents would qualify as a gift.
It was from someone's sermon. Like you said below so I won't go into that difference any more.
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was taught that they mean different things, but I find I used them interchangeably.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, SuperRoo, you've piqued my interest. How does 'gift' differ from 'present' (excluding the use of 'gift' in the sense that someone has a talent)?
Gift is from middle English, from Old Norse. Related to ghabh from Indo-European Roots. Ghabh means to give or to recieve. Yet another text reference is to grab or to take! Also, suffixed form ghebh ti means something given or received. Gift, from Old Norse gipt, gift, a gift, from Germanic giftiz. Cool.
Present is from middle English presenten and from Old French presenter and from Latin presentre, to show, from praesns, praesent- present participle of praeesse, to be in front of. Now that's a mouth full.
Gift
From the Old English "asgift," meaning, "payment for a wife" in the singular and meaning "wedding" in the plural. The Middle Dutch "gift," now written as "gif," meant the same, but today means "poison." The Old High German "gift" also became "poison." From the root "geb-", from which in English we get "give." There is another German word, however, which incorporates the word "gift", but which retains the older meaning of "payment for a wife". The word is "Mitgift", which is the modern German word for "dowry".
From -
http://westegg.com/etymology/ I just thought that was neat.
Gift [...] a general English term for a present or thing bestowed [...]
Present Also another substantive meaning a gift, and a verb meaning to bring into the presence of, to offer, to deliver. [...] The sense of gift is due to the 0. Fr. phrase mettre en present a quelquun, to bring something into the presence of a person, to offer, give.
With that said, I honestly don't know what that teacher meant, use gift for this and present for that. I wish I could remember. I looked it up in some texts and on-line, but alas I have come up empty handed!
Though gift, of couse, sounds better in some circumstances and present for others. A gift, to me, sounds more formal and present more cutsie.
I guess you go with your preference! Man, now I babbeled and have a headache. Where's my Tim Horton's ice cap (I just learned to like 'em yesterday.)
