Timeline for Truman's use of 'become' in 'it becomes my duty' ? (1951 US)
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
17 events
when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 12, 2015 at 13:12 | history | edited | user6951 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 25 characters in body
|
Feb 4, 2015 at 10:07 | comment | added | J.R.♦ | @pyobum - Yes, cross-posting is discouraged across all of SE, although many SE sites so overlap somewhat (like English Language & Usage and Writing, for example, or Computer Science and Data Science). As for migrating it, I don't think "Is this usage of become wrong?" is really a question that needs to be handled by "linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts." It's an interesting question, as some of your comments point out, but it's fine right here. | |
Feb 4, 2015 at 2:12 | comment | added | pyobum | @J.R. That's good information for the future. I wasn't clear on the general feeling towards cross-posting. Any chance of it being migrated? Or do you think it's better off staying here on ELL? | |
Feb 4, 2015 at 2:01 | comment | added | J.R.♦ | @pyobum - Maybe the original answer was a bit too concise. At any rate, cross-posting on both ELL and ELU is discouraged, so I hope that doesn't happen. | |
Feb 4, 2015 at 1:19 | comment | added | pyobum | @J.R. I had posted an answer more or less saying what's in my above comments (perhaps too concisely) that almost immediately got two "drive-by" downvotes, so I pulled it. If I get another couple of people backing up my analysis and examples in the comments, I'll expand my original answer and repost it. On a side note, I think that it would be useful to also ask this question on English Language and Usage (with a "meaning" tag) and that it would get some good answers/analysis from the users there. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:23 | comment | added | Ben Kovitz | @pyobum That is another good point: that usage has changed since Truman's time. That might even be a useful lead for some historical information to make clear which reading is most faithful to Truman's use of the word. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:15 | comment | added | J.R.♦ | @pyobum - I think your two comments really should be folded into an answer. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:09 | comment | added | pyobum | @BenKovitz I see how it can potentially have either one of the meanings we've suggested. I think the meaning I've proposed has fallen out of use and that the scope of its usage was fairly narrow even 60+ years ago. Unfortunately, resurrecting Truman so we can ask him directly probably isn't an option, and even if it were, I doubt our grammar questions would be very well received. Think it over! Cheers. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 9:27 | comment | added | Ben Kovitz | @pyobum That's a very good example, and I think your point about Truman not choosing the present perfect bears thought. I'll think about this. (Right now, though, it behooves me to get some work done.) | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 7:10 | comment | added | pyobum | Another example of become as I analyze Truman to have used it: "I cannot force myself to the conviction that I am capable of making war on my kindred upon their soil in a manner that would become my duty and station." - Capt. David A. Henkes, quoted in The Chicago Daily Tribune, February 25, 1918 | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 5:27 | comment | added | pyobum | Truman's intended meaning of become is the fourth one listed here: "to be suitable or necessary to the dignity, situation, or responsibility of." Truman is expressing to MacArthur that he is regretful/apologetic about replacing him, but the duties/responsibilities of his position (President) require him to do so. Refer to this page for an expression that uses become in the same way. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 3:13 | answer | added | user6951 | timeline score: 1 | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 3:10 | answer | added | Ben Kovitz | timeline score: 1 | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 2:30 | comment | added | Jason Patterson | I would have used "has become" rather than "becomes" but both are grammatical. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 1:43 | answer | added | JayHook | timeline score: 0 | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 1:11 | comment | added | DrMoishe Pippik | It "became" necessary to replace him, and therefore it became his duty at that time. | |
Feb 3, 2015 at 0:41 | history | asked | user8712 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |