I Heart Grammar

OK, so it's time for me to come out of the closet: I'm a grammar nazi. A BAD one. The kind of person who uses correct punctuation and syntax even when I'm instant messaging. The kind of person who shops at Target as much for their correct usage of "fewer" in the "6 items or fewer" lane as I do for their cheap stylishness. The kind of person who experiences physical pain at the misuse of apostrophes, and who bores colleagues silly with discoveries of "this really cool etymology site I found." In short, incorrigible. Life is not always easy for the grammar nazis of this world. We do not live in an era that values or is even that interested in language, and while I'm as guilty as anyone of using multiple forms of "dude" to express myself, I often wish that more people understood my love for words. So when Kevin directed me to this post on the phrase "begging the question" I girded my loins (ha!) for disappointment. What I found, instead, was a really interesting and intelligent discussion of this phrase in particular and the shifts in language and meaning in general. While I can't agree with the commenters who think we should just succumb to the prevalent use of "begs the question" to mean "raises the question"(when it SHOULD be used to mean "presupposes the conclusion"), the general tenor of the discussion was heartening for this logophile. At the end of the day, I agree with Dr. Praetorius' comment:

First they came for 'Ontology'
and I did not speak out
because I was an Analytic Philosopher
Then they came for 'Normative'
and I did not speak out
because I was not interested in Ethics.
Then they came for 'Metaphysics'
and I did not speak out
because I was not a metaphysician.
Then they came for 'begging the question'
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.