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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

OF--out of wedlock

out of wedlock= of parents not legally married

Can anyone please explain what of means here/how it is used?

Is the definition just a direct replacement for the phrase???

He was born out of wedlock/of parents not legally married

Thanks
  

Top answer

Wedlock is the state of being married. I think your analysis is correct and that the two phrases have the same meaning. I have never heard this word used in a positive sense, "he was born in wedlock" for example.

— LouiseT

  • Wedlock is the state of being married.
  • I think your analysis is correct and that the two phrases have the same meaning.
  • I have never heard this word used in a positive sense, "he was born in wedlock" for example.
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5 Answers
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Wedlock is the state of being married. I think your analysis is correct and that the two phrases have the same meaning.
I have never heard this word used in a positive sense, "he was born in wedlock" for example.
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But you wouldn't say he was born out of parents not legally married, would you? So maybe the defnition is not an exact translation of the phrasing out of wedlock? If that's the case, what does 'of' mean here in the definition?

A definition simply can't be a prepositional phrase without the P.phrase having a relationship with something else.

I don't think I'm being clear with thi
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"out of wedlock" is a phrasal verb. It is quite old fashioned now.

I would not say "He was born out of parents not legally married" nor would I say "He was born of parents not legally married". I would say "His parents were not legally married when he was born".
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He was born out of wedlock...

Well why would the definition begin with of? Why wouldn't it be born without paren't being married, not born of parents not legally married...
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This is another way of saying the same thing.

"He was born of parents not legally married". This is quite old fashioned as well. To "be born of someone" is not used as often now as it was. You can see this term often in the Bible and in the writings of Shakespeare for example. (just to show you how old it is)

This phrase always brings to my mind the 3 witches in MacBeth.
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