more begging of the question.

[Michael H Covarrubias]

I was going over this possibility after posting. In fact I think this is most
likely. If there are people who desire an answer then the phrase could be "It is
desired/begged that the question be answered" without directing the request at
the question.

But this is an odd use of "begged" isn't it? I've heard "it is said"  "it is
thought" "it is argued" etc. I don't know if I've heard "it is begged" before this.

mhc

Quoting "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: more begging of the question.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > > >"...the question is begged to be answered."
> > > >
> > > >I'm not sure I even understand how he thinks this sentence makes
> > sense. But
> > > >perhaps now when someone 'begs the question' it's because the answer is
> in
> > > >control of whether or not it can be answered.
> > > >
> > > >"Please be answered!" we might plead of especially difficult questions.
>
> But compare: "Preparations were ordered to be made." I don't know whether
> this is generally approved grammatically, but it is not rare, and I
> wouldn't blink at it, in speech or text.
>
> I don't think anybody imagines somebody saying, "Hey, you preparations! I
> order you to be made!"
>
> Grammatically, aren't these parallel?
>
> "Somebody ordered that preparations be made." > "Preparations were ordered
> to be made." [seems OK ... I think]
>
> "Somebody begs that the question be answered." > "The question is begged to
> be answered." [seems a little odd ... but not so odd that nothing like it
> was ever uttered]
>
> What say the grammarians?
>
> -- Doug Wilson
>
>
>
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