[lit-ideas] Raison D'Etre
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 14:01:54 EDT
In a message dated 9/3/2004 1:46:45 PM Eastern Standard Time,
andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> I wonder why the English language sometimes uses _French_ expressions (of
> all languages).
English uses expressions from all languages, not just French. There's quite
a bit of French
because the French invaded and occupied England for a long time (page 1066
in your history
book).
--- True.
It is perhaps interesting to note that the earliest record -- in the OED --
for "raison d'etre" in English is 1864 (in a private letter) -- way after
_1066 and all that_. So perhaps it was a _later_ import?
Still, I don't think that, before the 1860s, English authors used "reason of
being" (instead) -- but the more pretentious sounding 'ratio essendi', p
erhaps?
What I was trying to say is that the appeal to a foreign language may have
two motivations: an effect of 'distancing' ("this is what the French would call
"raison d'etre"") or a way of saying that there is no actual _English_ way
of conveying the foreign concept (else, why not use the autochtonous
expression?).
Cheers,
JL
1864 J S Mill Let. 18 Mar. (1910) II. 3
Modes of speech which have a real raison d'être.
1867 MORLEY Burke 208
Plunder in three forms..was the very raison d'être of the power of the [East
India] Company.
1880 Standard 29 Nov.,
The Royal Society has almost ceased to have a raison d'être.
1889 A. JAMES Diary 14 Dec. (1964) 67
The French ladies of the 18th century..whose whole raison d'être was the
graceful, and the light.
1927 C. CONNOLLY Let. 5 May in Romantic Friendship (1975) 301
With Desmond gone I have no raison d'être.
1959 J BRAINE Vodi vii. 102
There were a few trees and fields, and even a small colony of expensive
privately-built houses, which was rare for a place for which the raison d'être
now was Rimelby Main [colliery].
1975 J G EVANS Environment Early Man Brit. Isles v. 104
A possible raison d'être for these sites was the chert, a desirable raw
material.
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