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SuperESL Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Speak to
Hello,
"In the face of an inchoate and seemingly relentless globalisation, there is a growing hunger evident in many countries to recover – or invent – a more distinctive, discrete and reassuring identity. The referendum speaks to wider trends and anxieties in other respects too. Europe contains many more historic national groupings than it does states. Given the EU’s current diminishing popularity, pressure for Scottish secessionism – whether successful or not – will undoubtedly further nurture autonomy movements in Spain, France, Italy and elsewhere, and this will have implications not just for the economy and governance, but also for Nato."
Does the phrase "speak to" mean 'reflect' or 'address' or 'tap into' or something else in the context of the above passage? Thank you.
"In the face of an inchoate and seemingly relentless globalisation, there is a growing hunger evident in many countries to recover – or invent – a more distinctive, discrete and reassuring identity. The referendum speaks to wider trends and anxieties in other respects too. Europe contains many more historic national groupings than it does states. Given the EU’s current diminishing popularity, pressure for Scottish secessionism – whether successful or not – will undoubtedly further nurture autonomy movements in Spain, France, Italy and elsewhere, and this will have implications not just for the economy and governance, but also for Nato."
Does the phrase "speak to" mean 'reflect' or 'address' or 'tap into' or something else in the context of the above passage? Thank you.
Top answer
com/speak+to
- com/speak+to
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3 Answers
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It means "addresses."
Here is a link to a formal definition:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/speak+to
Here is a link to a formal definition:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/speak+to
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Thank you. But one wonders what 'address' means here as the subject here is 'the referendum,' so presumably it doesn't 'speak.'
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SuperESLso presumably it doesn't 'speak.'Not literally, but it is a written document so it "speaks" figuratively.
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