[lit-ideas] Re: Rhetorical Answer
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 21:44:51 EDT
In a message dated 9/21/2004 9:36:45 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
[Kerry and Bush] allowed to write their rhetorical answers on 'the type of
paper of their choosing.' We should learn a lot from these 'debates.'
----
I was surprised to learn that 'rhetorical question' is a rather recent
addition to the English language. The OED dates the first occurrence in 1843.
Other cites below. Nothing for 'rhetorical answer' (cf. Geary,
_Syncategoremata_)
-- and have not checked yet google.com. It seems to me that the idea of a
rhetorical answer makes quite a lot of sense, and I'm surprised no one ever
defined it clearly in a common dictionary.
Cheers,
JL
rhetorical question:
1843 T. K. ARNOLD Latin Prose Comp. §442
Non is often used without ne in vehement questions, especially, of course,
questions of appeal, or, as Reisig calls them, rhetorical questions.
1884 Bradley's Aids to Lat. Prose §150
Questions that do not require an answer, but are only put in the form of a
question in order to produce a greater effect,..are called rhetorical
questions.
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