Obama

Question

I always find the paper wroteThe President-elect Barrack Obama .....Is it grammatically true? What about The President-elected Barrack Obama.... I think the second sentence is correct. Am I right?Thanks

Yankee · Accepted Answer

Hi Oerwahfm

oerwahfmThe President-elect Barrack Obama

In the US, we have the presidential election at the beginning of November. After the election there is a sort of transition period that lasts about two and a half months. The winner of the election does not officially become President until January 20th of the following year.

Between the election on November 4, 2008 and the inauguration on January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was the President-elect. As of noon on January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama officially became the President. In other words, he can no longer be called "President-elect Obama". Now he is President Obama.

oerwahfmThe President-elected Barrack Obama..

I think the second sentence is correct. Am I right?

No, between the day of the election and January 20, we have a President-elect.

Oerwahfm · Answer

YankeeHi Oerwahfm
oerwahfmThe President-elect Barrack Obama
In the US, we have the presidential election at the beginning of November. After the election there is a sort of transition period that lasts about two and a half months. The winner of the election does not officially become President until January 20th of the following year.

Between the election on November 4, 2008 and the inauguration on January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was the President-elect. As of noon on January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama officially became the President. In other words, he can no longer be called "President-elect Obama". Now he is President Obama.
oerwahfmThe President-elected Barrack Obama..

I think the second sentence is correct. Am I right?
No, between the day of the election and January 20, we have a President-elect.

Thanks, I know this election process until the inauguration process but I don't quiet follow your explanation. I mean the word "elect" is a verb, shouldn't it an adjective "elected" to explain what kind of president we're referring here. Or maybe you could give another example which is similar with this President-elect formula.

Let me try to give you another example, please correct me if I'm wrong.

The Store-Manager chooses employee of the month based on feedback from customer satisfaction questionnaire. The employee-chosen then will be awarded 10% salary rise.

Thanks

CalifJim · Answer

I always find this written in the paper ~~wrote~~
The President-elect Barrack Obama ..

Is it grammatically ~~true~~ correct? What about
The President-elected Barrack Obama..

I think the second sentence is correct. No. Am I right? No.
________

If I'm not mistaken, elect is the Latin past participle (whereas elected is the English past participle), and the practice of using such a borrowing is exceedingly rare in English.

A similar structure is seen in the grammatical term present perfect.

So while the "normal" English expressions would be the elected president and the perfected present, the borrowed forms are expressed as the president-elect and the present perfect, respectively.

A few other similar combinations with a postposed Latinate adjective are used, for example, ambassador designate, attorney general.

And in the terminology of coats-of-arms a number of French present participles are used, mostly to describe lions:

lion combatant, lion rampant, lion erect, lion courant

All such constructions are very rare in English, and all have their origin in other languages.

CJ

Jeannie1 · Answer

President-elect   is the full noun.  It is not a noun and a verb.

Obama

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