The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #126579   Message #2820625
Posted By: mousethief
24-Jan-10 - 05:32 PM
Thread Name: BS: Mass. Senatorial race
Subject: RE: BS: Mass. Senatorial race
You so don't deserve me.

American Heritage Dictionary: Since the Greek phrase includes an article, some critics have argued that the phrase the hoi polloi is redundant. But phrases borrowed from other languages are often reanalyzed in English as single words. For example, a number of Arabic noun phrases were borrowed into English as simple nouns. The Arabic element al- means "the," and appears in English nouns such as alcohol and alchemy. Thus, since no one would consider a phrase such as "the alcohol" to be redundant, criticizing the hoi polloi on similar grounds seems pedantic.

Common Errors in English Usage (Paul Brians): Some urge that since "hoi" is the article "the hoi polloi" is redundant; but the general rule is that articles such as "the" and "a" in foreign language phrases cease to function as such in place names, brands, and catch phrases except for some of the most familiar ones in French and Spanish, where everyone recognizes "la"—for instance—as meaning "the." "The El Nino" is redundant, but "the hoi polloi" is standard English.

The Oxford English Dictionary: In English use normally preceded by the definite article even though hoi means 'the'.

Bite me.

O..O
=o=