Shall constitute: Difference between revisions

no edit summary
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{a|drafting|}}A legal way of saying “is”. It scores over [[to be]] in that it is highly ''regular'': the different forms of a given tense require no [[conjugation]]:
{{a|drafting|}}{{Quote|I think, therefore I shall be deemed to be constituted.
:—Graham [[Descartes]]}}
 
A legal way of saying “is”. It scores over [[to be]] in that it is highly ''regular'': the different forms of a given tense require no [[conjugation]]:


I ''shall constitute''  |  I ''am''<br>  
I ''shall constitute''  |  I ''am''<br>  
Line 8: Line 11:
They ''shall constitute''  |  They ''are''<br>
They ''shall constitute''  |  They ''are''<br>


On the other hand it is arguably most violent offender against the norms of plain English. There could not be a simpler, plainer word than ''be''. It is the first word non-English speakers learn on the long journey to being culturally hegemonised. There is no-one who knows anything about English who doesn’t know, innately what it means.
On the other hand it is ''the  most violent offender against the mores of plain English
 
“Be” is the citadel; it sits on a velvet cushion in the most heavily fortified dungeon of the keep. There is no plainer word than ''be''. It is the first word a non-English speaker learns on her long journey to being culturally hegemonised. There is no-one — not the dullest first grade student, who doesn’t understand profoundly what it means.


“Constitute” adds nothing to “be”. It is no more specific, no more precise, there is no nuance of meaning it captures that “be” does not.
“Constitute” adds nothing to “be”. It is no more specific, no more precise, there is no nuance of meaning it captures that “be” does not.