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No, this deserves to die (or at least change). The "correct" use is unclear and not obvious. Even people who are aware of the correct usage frequently get it w
by marcus_holmes 6y ago
No, this deserves to die (or at least change).
The "correct" use is unclear and not obvious. Even people who are aware of the correct usage frequently get it wrong (see comments here). There has to be a better term for this.
The "incorrect" use is actually useful (which, I guess, is why the phrase has been co-opted for it). There are statements that "beg the question" and that's a useful phrase to have (and a much clearer use of it). I shall continue using it for this :)
- desilentio 6y agoWhy don't you just say `raise the question'? Should a language be deprived of everything that is not obvious (to everyone)?
- hoseja 6y agoIt's a little silly to ask this in English, an oversimplified merchant creole.
- marcus_holmes 6y agoBecause "raise the question" doesn't have the same connotation as the commonly-understood meaning of "beg the question". Begging the question means (to most people, I think) that there is an obvious question in response to the statement. The statement itself is "begging" for this question to be asked. Raising the question means that one's response to the statement is to ask a question. It may not be obvious, and it's not an attribute of the statement itself that implies this response. I think that's a useful distinction.
- desilentio 6y agoThat's a valid point. But isn't it a bit archaic to have the thing begged for as a direct object? Wouldn't it be more normal to say `beg for the question'?
- marcus_holmes 6y agoYeah I can see that. But it feels weird to say it. The English expressions I do wish people would get right are "moorish" meaning spicy (after the Moors), not "I want more of this", and "enormity" meaning horrible, not huge. But English is always changing, and using these phrases in their correct meaning now confuses people.
- marcus_holmes 6y agoI love the quote (I first read on here a few weeks ago) that English is actually three languages in a trenchcoat pretending to be a single language.