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Apologies if this has been discussed before (I gave up in disgust on the "search" function after waiting several minutes for it to load): Today a friend declined to answer a question I'd posed until I rephrased it in such a manner so as not to have the question imply a premise which [she insisted ] was not true. Of course, being the linguaphiles that we are, the discussion was halted while we searched our minds for the [rhetorical?] term describing this phenomenon. The only thing we could come up with was illocutionary... but is there a more specific term for [intentionally or unintentionally] lacing one's question with an implication disguised as a logical premise? And while we're on the topic, what's the etymology of 'illocutionary'? Since 'allocute' is basically 'to speak', does the 'il-' prefix form the negative connotation? Thanks =)
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not very scientific, but i would call it a loaded question, and might ask you to recast.
and Tell me ghost, do you still beat your dog?
No! (and when did you stop? not until after the dog died? orYes! (why you worthless cur! )
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loaded questioni'd forgotten that term, thanks. and Tell me ghost, do you still beat your dog?*precisely* the structure i was attempting to describe. DOG? i've plenty of slobber and hyperactivity in my household already, and that's not even counting my squadron of toddlers.
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what's the etymology of 'illocutionary'? Since 'allocute' is basically 'to speak', does the 'il-' prefix form the negative connotation?
nope. it's the assimilated form in L. of the prefix 'in-', meaning in/on/into/upon; so an illocution is (in philosophical terms) an act such as ordering, warning, undertaking, performed in saying something.
"To perform a locutionary act is in general... also and eo ipso to perform an illocutionary act, as I propose to call it." -J.L. Austin, How to do Things with Words
(not to be confused with 'perlocution', an act such as persuading or convincing, that may or may not be successfully achieved by an illocutionary act such as entreating or arguing.)
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You might also look up a discussion held, at length, on the Board a few months ago relating to "begging the question". I'm sure that discussion wandered in and out of this one.
I'd have LIUed it for you, but the whole Board is so slow to load that I'm afraid that I'd die of old age before I could find it.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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tsuwm: so, "Have you stopped beating your dog yet?" is NOT an illocution? Did I get that right?
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and that's not even counting my squadron of toddlers.
BTW, what it the venereal term for toddlers in a group? of is such a term waiting to be invented? Perhaps "a squaldron of toddlers"?
(running off to check An Exaltation of Larks; will edit this to note anything found there.) EDIT: nothing found there; the closest was "a caper of kids". We have perhaps a tabula rasa, but certainly a open season for our creativity.
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Well, that depends on the the nature of the group of todlers, whence they come from or what they are doing.
eg: unplanned pregnancies resulting is a couple sets of twins...un accident of todlers
A group of todlers in art class ... definitely a 'mess of todlers'
I'm sure our learned compatriots will come up with more.
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A group of excited toddlers playing outside : a screech of toddlers.
Toddlers all asleep : a quiessence of toddlers.
How'm I doin' ?
Old saying : Children are like sugar : you forget how sweet they are when they are underfoot.
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