0
Wholegrain Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

don't understand this extract

"Merchants on 'change seem the passengers that buzz on her decks, while, from quarters unseen, comes a murmur as of bees in the comb."

Does he mean "the passengers seem to be merchants on change on her deck(...)"?

What ' is used for? Does it change the meaning of the word "change"?
  

Top answer

" (*) Seems like it should be the name of the ship, the way it's used, but why no capital letter?? There's really not enough here to get any kind of feel for what's going on. It's a bit unusual.

— Avangi

  • " (*) Seems like it should be the name of the ship, the way it's used, but why no capital letter??
  • There's really not enough here to get any kind of feel for what's going on.
  • It's a bit unusual.
  • Need more context.
  • - A.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

9 Answers
0
Possibly " 'change " is a contraction for "exchange." (*) Seems like it should be the name of the ship, the way it's used, but why no capital letter??

There's really not enough here to get any kind of feel for what's going on. It's a bit unusual. Need more context.

- A.

(*) like 'shrooms is a contraction for mushrooms
0
0
"Pierced along its great white bulk with two tiers of small embrasure-like windows, well above the waterline, the Fiddle, though, might at distance have been taken by strangers for some whitewashed fort on a floating isle.
Merchants on 'change seem the passengers that buzz on her decks, while, from quarters unseen, comes a murmur as of bees in the comb. Fine promenades, domed saloons, long gal
0
0
Thanks for the context, Wholegrain. It is a difficult and somewhat unfamiliar style.

I think the author contrasts the business travelers (merchants on deck) with the other, more mysterious and concealed travelers, in "confidential passages," etc. I expect the merchants would be considered the lower class, by contrast, in this particular setting.

I'm still looking at 'chan
0
0
I also believe that " 'change" means "exchange", but unfortunately I don't have a clear idea of what "merchants on exchange" means. I'm guessing that "exchange" is used in the sense of "market" (as in "corn exchange", stock exchange" etc.)
0
0
The passengers seemed like the merchants in the Exchange [traders on the stock exchange who are busy and rushing around].
It is an elliptical sentence trying to raise the image of people milling around.

This is Melville, isn't it?
0
0
Guild of Merchants on Exchange is an ancient European guild of money changers. Probably the Market is appropriate.
0
0
AvangiThis is the first time I've seen "present" used this way (intransitive) in a non-medical context.
Fine promenades, domed saloons, long galleries, sunny balconies, confidential passages, bridal chambers, state-rooms plenty as pigeon-holes, and out-of-the-way retreats like secret drawers in an escritoire, present like facilities for publicity or privacy.
0
0
You're probably right, Wordy. I confess to looking at this with a different eye since Feebs mentioned Melville. You mean "like" = "similar"?? (I was thinking "like" = "as" - [medical] "Gout presents as a swelling and redness in the big toe.")

How about as an adjective?? " . . . . state-rooms plenty . . . . ,present . . . for . . . privacy." - Naw.

- A.
0
0
AvangiYou're probably right, Wordy. I confess to looking at this with a different eye since Feebs mentioned Melville. You mean "like" = "similar"?? (I was thinking "like" = "as" - [medical] "Gout presents as a swelling and redness in the big toe.")

How about as an adjective?? " . . . . state-rooms plenty . . . . ,present . . . for . . . privacy." -
0

Related Questions