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Dr. Solri's Language Clinic - Latest Q&As
Thursday, April 26th, 2007 11:56 pmQ: We talk about "adjourning a meeting" and "adjourning to the bar". Which one came first?
A: These words are homonyms, like the celebrated example of weeds in the garden and a widow's weeds. "Adjourn" in the meeting sense comes from Late Latin ad (which means "to", of course) and jurnus, meaning "day", whence comes French jour. The other "adjourn" is a contraction from Anglo-Saxon á-ceren, meaning "into the churn". (Actually, because of the ambiguity of the prefix á-, which can be a contraction of either on or æf, it could mean pretty much any spatial reference to a churn.) The origin of this idiom is uncertain, but may refer to the brewing of beer or mead. According to the OED the earliest use of "adjourn" in its Latinate sense is in Brunne's Chronicles of 1330 (at which time it meant not to break off a meeting but to appoint a day of trial), so the drinking sense is probably older. Of course in practice, when someone in a meeting says "I suggest we adjourn," both senses are usually intended.
Q: What is the origin of the adjective "litigious"?
A: Contrary to popular belief, this word has nothing to do with litigation. It was originally a portmanteau word coined by Prof. Verärgert (a visiting lecturer at Oxford) to express his exasperation with argumentative English Literature dons. (Since some of these professors worked for the Oxford English Dictionary, it is safe to assume that they were the authors of the fabricated entry which claims to trace this word back to 1382.)
Q: Does a sentence always have to contain a finite verb?
A: No.
Q: I have two textbooks on writing style. One says that in academic writing, the passive voice should be used as an alternative to the first person, which is thought to give an impression of subjectivity. The other denounces passive sentences as "weasel words", "limp-wristed" and "unmanly". Which one is right?
A: Firstly I would like to say how pleased I am that you possess not one, but two books on style, even though the author of one of them seems to have read too much Hemingway. Unfortunately, both books are wrong. The use of weasel words is generally met with approval in academia. However, I would be inclined to propose as a working hypothesis that this is perfectly compatible with the active voice and use of the first person.
Q: my english prof is rly upset about yr post when u talked about "prissy EngComp teachers". i dont think its good to thraeten ppl w physcial violence but what is an asyndeton??
A: An asyndeton is the thing I'm going to hit your prissy EngComp teacher around the head with. Or if he's the kind of guy who can't stand prepositions at the end of sentences, it is the thing with which I will hit him around the head. Now go and ask him what a circular definition is, or check out Learn Logic With Beavis And Butthead.
A: These words are homonyms, like the celebrated example of weeds in the garden and a widow's weeds. "Adjourn" in the meeting sense comes from Late Latin ad (which means "to", of course) and jurnus, meaning "day", whence comes French jour. The other "adjourn" is a contraction from Anglo-Saxon á-ceren, meaning "into the churn". (Actually, because of the ambiguity of the prefix á-, which can be a contraction of either on or æf, it could mean pretty much any spatial reference to a churn.) The origin of this idiom is uncertain, but may refer to the brewing of beer or mead. According to the OED the earliest use of "adjourn" in its Latinate sense is in Brunne's Chronicles of 1330 (at which time it meant not to break off a meeting but to appoint a day of trial), so the drinking sense is probably older. Of course in practice, when someone in a meeting says "I suggest we adjourn," both senses are usually intended.
Q: What is the origin of the adjective "litigious"?
A: Contrary to popular belief, this word has nothing to do with litigation. It was originally a portmanteau word coined by Prof. Verärgert (a visiting lecturer at Oxford) to express his exasperation with argumentative English Literature dons. (Since some of these professors worked for the Oxford English Dictionary, it is safe to assume that they were the authors of the fabricated entry which claims to trace this word back to 1382.)
Q: Does a sentence always have to contain a finite verb?
A: No.
Q: I have two textbooks on writing style. One says that in academic writing, the passive voice should be used as an alternative to the first person, which is thought to give an impression of subjectivity. The other denounces passive sentences as "weasel words", "limp-wristed" and "unmanly". Which one is right?
A: Firstly I would like to say how pleased I am that you possess not one, but two books on style, even though the author of one of them seems to have read too much Hemingway. Unfortunately, both books are wrong. The use of weasel words is generally met with approval in academia. However, I would be inclined to propose as a working hypothesis that this is perfectly compatible with the active voice and use of the first person.
Q: my english prof is rly upset about yr post when u talked about "prissy EngComp teachers". i dont think its good to thraeten ppl w physcial violence but what is an asyndeton??
A: An asyndeton is the thing I'm going to hit your prissy EngComp teacher around the head with. Or if he's the kind of guy who can't stand prepositions at the end of sentences, it is the thing with which I will hit him around the head. Now go and ask him what a circular definition is, or check out Learn Logic With Beavis And Butthead.
