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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
"My name is __."
Why is it that, in English, when we write a sentence of the form "My name is (name) .", there are no quotes around the name?
Example sentences:
A: My name is Juuitchan.
B: My name is "Juuitchan".
Sentence A seems to state that the writer's name is the (person, place, or other such entity) Juuitchan. Sentence B seems to state that the writer's name is the sequence of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?
Example sentences:
A: My name is Juuitchan.
B: My name is "Juuitchan".
Sentence A seems to state that the writer's name is the (person, place, or other such entity) Juuitchan. Sentence B seems to state that the writer's name is the sequence of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?
Top answer
[nq:1]A: My name is Juuitchan. B: My name is "Juuitchan". Sentence A seems to state that the writer's name is ...
- [nq:1]A: My name is Juuitchan.
- B: My name is "Juuitchan".
- Sentence A seems to state that the writer's name is ...
- of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan".
- [/nq] Conventional English simply does not make these distinctions.
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38 Answers
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[nq:1]A: My name is Juuitchan. B: My name is "Juuitchan". Sentence A seems to state that the writer's name is ... of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
Conventional English simply does not make these
distinctions. Names are a unique type of noun (and their spelling is almost trivial, although it is a mark of respect to spell a man's
Conventional English simply does not make these
distinctions. Names are a unique type of noun (and their spelling is almost trivial, although it is a mark of respect to spell a man's
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[nq:1]Why is it that, in English, when we write a sentence of the form "My name is (name) ... of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
B is logically correct. However, in ordinary English not written by professional logicians, usage is pretty careless about the distinction between use & mention of words. Other languages, too medieval philo
B is logically correct. However, in ordinary English not written by professional logicians, usage is pretty careless about the distinction between use & mention of words. Other languages, too medieval philo
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[nq:1]Why is it that, in English, when we write a sentence of the form "My name is (name) ... of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
Strictly speaking, you are right. It should be as in B. However, it would be tiresome to include quotation-marks every time you write this common phrase, so they are omitted. Isn't the situation the same in
Strictly speaking, you are right. It should be as in B. However, it would be tiresome to include quotation-marks every time you write this common phrase, so they are omitted. Isn't the situation the same in
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[nq:1]Why is it that, in English, when we write a sentence of the form "My name is (name) ... of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
Putting it in quotes would indicate that it is what the person is called, rather than what his name is. Remember the White Knight's explaination of what the name of his song was called.
My name is
Putting it in quotes would indicate that it is what the person is called, rather than what his name is. Remember the White Knight's explaination of what the name of his song was called.
My name is
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[nq:2]Why is it that, in English, when we write a ... we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
[nq:1]Strictly speaking, you are right. It should be as in B. However, it would be tiresome to include quotation-marks every ... that," the Knight said. "The song really is 'A-sitting on a Gate': and the tune's my own invention." End quotation [/nq]
Commentators on the Alice books have observed th
[nq:1]Strictly speaking, you are right. It should be as in B. However, it would be tiresome to include quotation-marks every ... that," the Knight said. "The song really is 'A-sitting on a Gate': and the tune's my own invention." End quotation [/nq]
Commentators on the Alice books have observed th
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Hmmm ... interesting point.
Did I get it correct that in the first case you
consider the name to be something like a variable
in a programming language?
Consider that: Henry J. Popular could write:
My name is popular. :-)
Do you know if there are other languages where
you write the "name" in quotes?
Andre
Did I get it correct that in the first case you
consider the name to be something like a variable
in a programming language?
Consider that: Henry J. Popular could write:
My name is popular. :-)
Do you know if there are other languages where
you write the "name" in quotes?
Andre
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Andre M. Maier filted:
[nq:1]Hmmm ... interesting point. Did I get it correct that in the first case you consider the name to be something like a variable in a programming language? Consider that: Henry J. Popular could write: My name is popular. :-)[/nq]
Nicklaus Wirth was once asked for his preference when pronouncing his name...he answered that if you called him by reference, it was "ve
[nq:1]Hmmm ... interesting point. Did I get it correct that in the first case you consider the name to be something like a variable in a programming language? Consider that: Henry J. Popular could write: My name is popular. :-)[/nq]
Nicklaus Wirth was once asked for his preference when pronouncing his name...he answered that if you called him by reference, it was "ve
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[nq:1]Why is it that, in English, when we write a sentence of the form "My name is (name) ... of nine Roman letters that spell "Juuitchan". So why do we write as in A, and not as in B?[/nq]
It is a convention. The convention is shared by all other languages that I know well enough to pass judgement on this question.
Are you by any chance a Lisp programmer?
It is a convention. The convention is shared by all other languages that I know well enough to pass judgement on this question.
Are you by any chance a Lisp programmer?
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(snip)
[nq:2] Begin quotation 'The name of the song is called " ... not having checked a printed source in the first place.-GS)[/nq]
[nq:1]Commentators on the Alice books have observed that, in order to be strictly logical, the Knight should have followed the words "The song really is" by singing it.[/nq]
(snip)
But then along would come Bertrand Russell to say that that would not
[nq:2] Begin quotation 'The name of the song is called " ... not having checked a printed source in the first place.-GS)[/nq]
[nq:1]Commentators on the Alice books have observed that, in order to be strictly logical, the Knight should have followed the words "The song really is" by singing it.[/nq]
(snip)
But then along would come Bertrand Russell to say that that would not
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(snip)
[nq:1](snip) But then along would come Bertrand Russell to say that that would not be the song at all - that would only be an instance of the song. The song really is the set of all performances of the song. Gerald Smyth[/nq]
I think that that is not a working definition.
A working definition is that the song is its score, just as my name is its spelling.
[nq:1](snip) But then along would come Bertrand Russell to say that that would not be the song at all - that would only be an instance of the song. The song really is the set of all performances of the song. Gerald Smyth[/nq]
I think that that is not a working definition.
A working definition is that the song is its score, just as my name is its spelling.
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