aus dem Oxford English Dictionary:

instantly, adv.

1. Urgently, persistently, with importunity. arch.

b. Pressingly, so as to press upon. Obs.

2. At this or that very moment; now, just now, just. Obs.

3. In a moment; immediately, forthwith, at once.

b. conjunctively (with or without that, as). The moment that, as soon as.

4. Immediately (in position). rare.


instantaneously, adv.

In an instantaneous manner.

1. In an instant, in a moment; without any perceptible interval between beginning and completion.

2. In or at the particular instant.

Danke für deinen Beitrag, Matthew. Ein wertender Kommentar wäre aber vielleicht hilfreich gewesen.

Wenn man die als "arch.", "obs." oder "rare" markierten Definitionen fürs Erste mal beiseite lässt, dann bleibt KEIN Unterschied zwischen der Verwendung von "instantly" und "instantaneously". Stimmt das? Was sagen die native speakers?

Ich habe eine ganze Reihe native speakers aus meinem Umfeld gefragt, die allerdings alle im Wesentlichen nur ihre Muttersprache beherrschen und insofern vielleicht sprachlichen Feinheiten gegenüber nicht im gleichen Maße sensibilisiert sind wie Leute, die mehr als eine Sprache täglich benutzen.
Die Leute, die ich gefragt habe, sagen alle, dass ihnen kein Beispiel für unterschiedliche Verwendung einfällt. Zu der Aussage "es gibt keinen (nennenswerten) Unterschied" wollte sich aber trotzdem niemand durchringen. Ein leises Unbehagen bleibt also ...

Instantly = at once, directly and immediately.
Instantaneously = (of two events that occur) so nearly simultaneously that any difference is imperceptible.
-- Bryan Garner, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (1998)

Of course, that's the prescriptive version; the descriptive version, as reported by dictionaries, is that many people do indeed use them interchangeably. I'm not sure I would have been able to explain the difference myself, but now that I read it, it makes sense.


@Rotznase: BTW, would you be at all interested in commenting on whether 'hit one's straps' is AusE, and if so, where the 'straps' part comes from?
http://forum.leo.org/cgi-bin/dict/forum.cgi?a...

instantaneous - Adjective
instantly - Adverb

instantaneously does not exist!!!

@DA: You should brush up on your English:

Main Entry:
in·stan·ta·neous Listen to the pronunciation of instantaneous
Pronunciation:
\ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs, -nyəs\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Medieval Latin instantaneus, from instant-, instans, noun
Date:
1651

1 : done, occurring, or acting without any perceptible duration of time 2 : done without any delay being purposely introduced 3 : occurring or present at a particular instant
— in·stan·ta·ne·i·ty \ˌin-ˌstan-tə-ˈnē-ə-tē, ˌin(t)-stən-tə-ˈnē-\ noun
— in·stan·ta·neous·ly Listen to the pronunciation of instantaneously \ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs-lē, -nyəs-lē\ adverb
— in·stan·ta·neous·ness noun
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Di...

Definition
instantaneous Show phonetics
adjective
happening immediately, without any delay:
an instantaneous response/reply/reaction

instantaneously Show phonetics
adverb

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?ke...

in·stan·ta·ne·ous /ˌɪnstənˈteɪniəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-stuhn-tey-nee-uhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1.occurring, done, or completed in an instant: an instantaneous response.
2.existing at or pertaining to a particular instant: the instantaneous position of the rocket.
[Origin: 1645–55; < ML instantāneus. See instant, -an, -eous]

—Related forms
in·stan·ta·ne·i·ty /ɪnˌstæntnˈiɪti, ˌɪnstəntəˈni-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-stan-tn-ee-i-tee, in-stuhn-tuh-nee-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, in·stan·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun
in·stan·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=inst...

Angesichts von mehr als 5 Mio. Treffern bei Google möchte ich das für ein Gerücht halten:
http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&q=instantan...

"instantaneously does not exist!!!"

Wie bitte?

Warum soll es kein Adverb zu "instantaneous" geben? Und bei aller Skepsis gegenüber Google-Trefferzahlen: 5.250.000 Google-Treffer sind denn doch ein paar zu viel um sagen zu können, dass das Wort nicht existiert... :-)

"instantaneously does not exist!!!"

Of course 'instantaneously' exists!!!

Don't trust the mob! Research your fact! Please refer to the Oxford Dictionary, and I advise against using any Online-Dictionary, including Leo..

@DA: My dictionary of preference is the Random House (Webster's) Unabridged and, yes, it does contain "instantaneously."

If this Oxford dictionary you refer to does not contain "instantaneously," that would be just one more reason for me to stick with my Random House.

Mea Culpa, the new version of Oxford does contain "instantaneously". I guess they also follow the mob, something I will start to do as well, instantaneously ...