4 ms·

Hes correct. It should be "verbal exam".

by not_gpt4 4y ago

tom-thistime 4y ago
In fact, though, it's "oral exam." But it does sound funny.
- not_gpt4 4y ago
  language, in fact, evolves. a rectal exam involves examining the examining the rectal cavity, so a oral exam should be reserved for examining the oral cavity.
  - tom-thistime 4y ago
    I agree in general, but disagree on the details. In an oral exam, a student answers questions orally. That's how language has evolved so far. I can't imagine a situation where a committee of professors would need to examine a granduate student's rectum to evaluate knowledge, so the "rectal exam" above is poorly named. To further advance linguistic evolution, "rectal exam" should be reserved for occasions when the student is required to pronounce words rectally in response to questions in his or her field of study. That happens more often than you might think, plus it makes everything consistent.
Retric 4y ago
No, oral is more clear. We also say something is an oral tradition not a verbal tradition because one of the definitions of oral is “Spoken rather than written.” One of the mean songs for Verbal is “Of, relating to, or associated with words.” So a written test could be a verbal test.
macintux 4y ago
“verbal” can be applied to either spoken or written word, but I get the sense that people default to “verbal” over “oral” just out of discomfort.
- mannykannot 4y ago
  'Oral' is also ambiguous. 'Vocal' might be better than either, though it sounds awkward, perhaps simply because it is not used. Then there's 'interrogation', which Heisenberg might have concurred with...
- msla 4y ago
  No, verbal contrasts with written, as in verbal instructions versus written instructions. Is English your first language?
  - macintux 4y ago
    Yes, first and effectively only. First definition at MW: > of, relating to, or consisting of words https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal
    - msla 4y ago
      https://www.lawdepot.com/blog/are-verbal-agreements-legally-binding/ https://www.lawdepot.com/blog/are-verbal-agreements-legally-... > When two or more parties come to an agreement without any written documentation, they create a verbal agreement (known formally as an oral contract). I think that alone demonstrates that verbal contrasts with written.
      - macintux 4y ago
        The fact that many people use it in opposition to written is insufficient proof that all dictionaries are wrong. Eventually it may only mean oral, but today it doesn’t.

Hes correct. It should be "verbal exam".

tom-thistime 4y ago

In fact, though, it's "oral exam." But it does sound funny.

not_gpt4 4y ago
language, in fact, evolves. a rectal exam involves examining the examining the rectal cavity, so a oral exam should be reserved for examining the oral cavity.
- tom-thistime 4y ago
  I agree in general, but disagree on the details. In an oral exam, a student answers questions orally. That's how language has evolved so far. I can't imagine a situation where a committee of professors would need to examine a granduate student's rectum to evaluate knowledge, so the "rectal exam" above is poorly named. To further advance linguistic evolution, "rectal exam" should be reserved for occasions when the student is required to pronounce words rectally in response to questions in his or her field of study. That happens more often than you might think, plus it makes everything consistent.

Retric 4y ago

No, oral is more clear. We also say something is an oral tradition not a verbal tradition because one of the definitions of oral is “Spoken rather than written.” One of the mean songs for Verbal is “Of, relating to, or associated with words.” So a written test could be a verbal test.

macintux 4y ago

“verbal” can be applied to either spoken or written word, but I get the sense that people default to “verbal” over “oral” just out of discomfort.

mannykannot 4y ago
'Oral' is also ambiguous. 'Vocal' might be better than either, though it sounds awkward, perhaps simply because it is not used. Then there's 'interrogation', which Heisenberg might have concurred with...
msla 4y ago
No, verbal contrasts with written, as in verbal instructions versus written instructions. Is English your first language?
- macintux 4y ago
  Yes, first and effectively only. First definition at MW: > of, relating to, or consisting of words https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal
  - msla 4y ago
    https://www.lawdepot.com/blog/are-verbal-agreements-legally-binding/ https://www.lawdepot.com/blog/are-verbal-agreements-legally-... > When two or more parties come to an agreement without any written documentation, they create a verbal agreement (known formally as an oral contract). I think that alone demonstrates that verbal contrasts with written.
    - macintux 4y ago
      The fact that many people use it in opposition to written is insufficient proof that all dictionaries are wrong. Eventually it may only mean oral, but today it doesn’t.