interpretation (due another person?)

Question

Respect is what’s due another person simply because he or she is a person.

Q) I have no idea how to interpret "what's due antoehr person." Do you have any idea?

If context is needed, here it is.

People are sometimes surprised at the suggestion that they demonstrate respect for people they work with. Some ?protest, “A person has to earn my respect.” Since few people live up to these folks’ high standards, the majority of people they know are ?devalued. Those who don’t measure up are often ignored. They’re even treated with ?contempt because, after all, “They don’t deserve my respect.” The kind of respect we’re talking about has nothing to do with competence or incompetence. It’s not something reserved for the deserving. Respect is what’s due another person simply because he or she is a person.

GPY · Accepted Answer

"what’s due another person" means the thing that another person is due, i.e. the thing that they are owed or that is rightfully theirs.

CalifJim · Answer

moon7296what’s due another person

= that (thing) which we must give to [any another person / everyone]

CJ

Moon7296 · Answer

Is this "due" an adjective in the sentence? It's hard to match in a dictionary. Is the definition I find below is correct for that?
<<<<<<<2a : owed or owing as a natural or moral right <everyone's right to dissent … is due the full protection of the Constitution — Nat Hentoff> >>>>>>>> source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due

Rephrased sentences for that structure including "due" look quite different from the original. The structure looks very uniquie, doesn't it?

I've never seen such structure. What I usually see with "what" is like this.
1. A is what's different from B
2. A is what's different person from B. (You don't say this, do you? Note that this structure looks very similar to the underlined part.

CalifJim · Answer

moon7296Is this "due" an adjective in the sentence? It's hard to match in a dictionary. Is the definition I find below is correct for that?

Yes, it's an adjective derived from the French past participle dû (owed), from the verb devoir, which relates to the concepts of "must" and "should". The definition you found is the correct one for this usage. (You could argue that it's a very "verby" adjective, considering its origin.)

moon7296Rephrased sentences for that structure including "due" look quite different from the original.

Not if you paraphrase with the participle. Everyone's right to dissent ... is owed the full protection of the Constitution.

moon7296A is what's different person from B. (You don't say this, do you?

No.

moon7296Note that this structure looks very similar to the underlined part.

It may look similar, but I can't tell from here. I'm in the answer box writing a reply and you haven't repeated the sentence with the underline in your post, so I can't see it.

CJ

Edit: I went back and got the sentence and copied it here.

Respect is what’s due another person simply because he or she is a person.

Yes, you're right. The difference, of course, is that the adjective "different", like most adjectives, doesn't have any qualities of a past participle, like due does.

The only other example I can think of that's not a past participle is likely, but it doesn't act like due because here it's just a matter of omitting 'to be' (likely to be).

I saw what's likely a bird.

There are probably more cases with participles, however.

what's called a lagniappe

CJ

interpretation (due another person?)

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