Editing 2039: Begging the Question
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| + | {{incomplete|Created by a NAUSEOUS BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
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This comic makes fun of the constant battle between those who maintain a {{w|Linguistic prescription|prescriptive view of language}} and those who have a {{w|Linguistic description|descriptive view}}. In the prescriptive view, language has fixed rules and fixed usage, and any usage that does not adhere to established rules is incorrect. In the descriptive view however, language is malleable and any usage can be correct if it is common and understood by most people. | This comic makes fun of the constant battle between those who maintain a {{w|Linguistic prescription|prescriptive view of language}} and those who have a {{w|Linguistic description|descriptive view}}. In the prescriptive view, language has fixed rules and fixed usage, and any usage that does not adhere to established rules is incorrect. In the descriptive view however, language is malleable and any usage can be correct if it is common and understood by most people. | ||
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;Nauseous | ;Nauseous | ||
| − | ''Nauseous'' in its | + | ''Nauseous'' in its 'proper' form means "causing {{w|nausea}}", while ''nauseated'' means affected with nausea. |
| − | Prescriptively speaking, it is only correct to use the word "nauseous" to describe the food item since that was the cause of Ponytail's nausea. Saying "the food made her nauseous" would be interpreted | + | Prescriptively speaking, it is only correct to use the word "nauseous" to describe the food item since that was the cause of Ponytail's nausea. Saying "the food made her nauseous" would traditionally be interpreted as meaning the food somehow caused her (her body, her appearance, etc.) to become so disgusting that she now causes other people to feel nausea. As White Hat states, the proper phrasing is that the "the food was nauseous", and it "made [her] feel nauseated". |
| − | + | In modern usage however, "nauseous" has taken on the same meaning as "nauseated", meaning "affected with nausea". Today most people will understand "she is nauseous" to mean she does not feel well. | |
;Begging the question | ;Begging the question | ||
| − | {{w|Begging the question}} originally referred to a logical fallacy where an argument assumed its conclusion. The phrase first meant to question (beg) the original question. In modern usage, it has come to mean to "raise a question or point that has not been dealt with". This is often a point of contention for prescriptivists. However, as the caption explains, Cueball has an entirely different meaning for this phrase that he created himself: "fight a losing battle against changing usage". This is actually a meta-meaning, as that is actually the common activity of prescriptivists who complain about incorrect usage; it's a losing battle, because language change is inevitable and unstoppable | + | {{w|Begging the question}} originally referred to a logical fallacy where an argument assumed its conclusion. The phrase first meant to question (beg) the original question. In modern usage, it has come to mean to "raise a question or point that has not been dealt with". This is often a point of contention for prescriptivists. However, as the caption explains, Cueball has an entirely different meaning for this phrase that he created himself: "fight a losing battle against changing usage". This is actually a meta-meaning, as that is actually the common activity of prescriptivists who complain about incorrect usage; it's a losing battle, because language change is inevitable and unstoppable. |
Ponytail might recognize that her exposure to nauseous food has both nauseated her and caused her to become nauseous to Cueball. The question is not merely begged, it is missed. | Ponytail might recognize that her exposure to nauseous food has both nauseated her and caused her to become nauseous to Cueball. The question is not merely begged, it is missed. | ||
| − | The title text also plays on another word commonly argued over by prescriptivists. "Enormity" in its classical usage means either extreme wickedness or a monstrous offense or evil, though it is more commonly used in modern writing as a synonym for enormousness | + | The title text also plays on another word commonly argued over by prescriptivists. "Enormity" in its classical usage means either extreme wickedness or a monstrous offense or evil, though it is more commonly used in modern writing as a synonym for enormousness. The title text exploits the lexical ambiguity that this creates. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Ponytail and White Hat standing next to each other talking. White Hat has raised his hand while Cueball stands behind him.] | :[Ponytail and White Hat standing next to each other talking. White Hat has raised his hand while Cueball stands behind him.] | ||
:Ponytail: That food made me nauseous. | :Ponytail: That food made me nauseous. | ||
| − | :White Hat: No, the ''food'' was nauseous. It made you ''nauseated''. | + | :White Hat: No, the ''food'' was nauseous. It made you feel ''nauseated''. |
:Cueball: Come on, you're just begging the question. | :Cueball: Come on, you're just begging the question. | ||
