Do these 2 sentences mean about the same thing and why?

Question

They are his instruments, namely his servants.

They are his instruments or namely his servants.

Answer 1

The first one is less confusing.

Answer 2

Yes, the two sentences do mean roughly the same thing. Sentence two, however, should (or at least can) be written like this: "They are his instruments or, namely, his servants'.

Here's the (inevitable) slight differences in the meaning:

Sentence one suggests that the word "servants" is the more accurate thing to say: you've used the word "instruments", but feel that you need to call them something else as well. Perhaps "instruments" is a misleading term, or it is too poetic, or something like that.

Sentence two suggests that the word "instruments" is almost as accurate as the word "servants": you've said that they can be called "intruments OR servants". Because you still use the word "namely", however, the word "servants" is still suggested to be slightly more accurate.

In the first sentace, the comma DOES NOT replace the word "or" - as far as I am aware, it is impossible for commas to have this function. The omittance of the word "or" changes the meaning.

They are both quite ugly sentences however. They would read better as: 'They are his instruments, they are his servants'; 'They are his instruments or, more accurately, his servants'. These minor changes slightly change the meaning again though...

Answer 3

I think the two sentences have the same meaning. people or tools refered as owned by the person and work for him in complete submission.

Answer 4

yes they are the same the comma takes the place of the or in the first.