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NL888 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Please rewrite " entertaining as I do opinions of a character" in plain English
So that I can understand it.
Context:
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
Context:
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
Top answer
That is old-fashioned oratory, I guess you know. entertaining — ( AHD Def. 3b ) This "entertain" seems to be a different word from the usual one, but it is just a literal interpretation of the Latin source, "to hold within".
- That is old-fashioned oratory, I guess you know.
- entertaining — ( AHD Def.
- 3b ) This "entertain" seems to be a different word from the usual one, but it is just a literal interpretation of the Latin source, "to hold within".
- as I do — as I do entertain opinions of a character very opposite to theirs — opinions whose type is the opposite of the type that their opinions are I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, even though the opinions I hold are the opposite of their opinions , I shall speak forth my sentiments
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3 Answers
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That is old-fashioned oratory, I guess you know.
entertaining — ( AHD Def. 3b ) This "entertain" seems to be a different word from the usual one, but it is just a literal interpretation of the Latin source, "to hold within".
as I do — as I do entertain
opinions of a character very opposi
entertaining — ( AHD Def. 3b ) This "entertain" seems to be a different word from the usual one, but it is just a literal interpretation of the Latin source, "to hold within".
as I do — as I do entertain
opinions of a character very opposi
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NL888Does "character" mean "type" here?Sort of. You caught me. I had to grope for a synonym there that was not just as abstract as the original word. "Nature" would have been better, probably.
From Webster's 1913: "The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the stamp impressed by nature,
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