The meaning doesn't appear to have shifted (and has been expressed very clearly among the mess of this thread).

Sorry! I expressed myself very sloppily. What I meant was: when you dissect it (word by word) what does the phrase mean? What is the sense of the word "beg" in this case? And is the "question" in question the hypothesis that is supposedly being proven? etc...

We were all trained in obfuscation and sewing genteel-ish confusion by the Byzantine civil service during the 13th century. We can send you back for some instruction in the art if you like!

"Sewing confusion" sounds very genteel indeed! Thanks for the offer but I don't think fine needlework is really for me. But time travel to Byzantium in the 13th C: now that's a tempting thought!