Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Etymology of "As it were"

  • 13-02-2015 7:34pm
    #1
    Yearning4Stormy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 129 ✭✭


    Hi, folks,

    This is quite random, but it's been irritating me and I cannot find anything useful on the intertubes.

    I've been listening to Bill Bryson's Short History and he is quite fond of the phrase, "as it were". Now, the etymology of this phrase, as far as the intertubes goes, is that it's synonymous with, "so to speak". I don't have a problem with that. What I don't understand is why there's a singular pronoun and plural verb? Even though, "as it was" doesn't sound right in any context!

    Edit: Duuuuh, after typing all of that and doing some more research, I believe it's the subjunctive case. Every day's a learning day :)
    "If I were a rich man, ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_subjunctive

    Any other examples of strange sentence structures that are technically correct?

    Thanks!


Advertisement