Is there any difference between these three pairs? If there is, is it the same difference?
I did it by myself.
I did it on my own.
He lives by himself.
He lives on his own.
We're by ourselves.
We're on our own.
phrasespronouns
Is there any difference between these three pairs? If there is, is it the same difference?
I did it by myself.
I did it on my own.
He lives by himself.
He lives on his own.
We're by ourselves.
We're on our own.
Best Answer
In looking into questions of synonymy (or its absence) it is important to keep in mind that individual words and phrases themselves do not have atomic meaning: they have not only ranges of meanings, and different meanings in different contexts, but also different ranges of meanings in different contexts. So even in such distinct contexts as you provide you may discover instances where the two phrases are essentially synonymous, instances where only one or the other phrases is usable, and instances where both may be used but they have different meanings. There is not necessarily a 'core meaning' to any word/phrase, or 'core difference' between two words/phrases, which translates predictably from one context to the next.
Let's look at the phrases 1) by Xself and 2) on X own in three different contexts: a) with do, b) with live, and c) with be.