Pedants' Paradise

[gurnemanz]

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... or aposiopesis ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aposiopesis

There seems to me to be a discrepancy in this Wiki definition which refers to the speaker "deliberately" pausing mid-sentence to leave the completion of the thought to the listener. If so, it surely does not encompass an example like the Queen Mab speech where Romeo actually cuts Mercutio off. ("Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!" - in modern parlance: Leave it alone, mate!) If your speech is interrupted you are not deliberately pausing.

[french frank]

The problem with the term ellipsis for this three-dot mark is that while it can serve as an indication that some text has been omitted, more usually - as in the examples here - it just indicates a sort of meaningful pause...

It is how I would use it. If I want to indicate text/word missing, illegible &c, I would write [ … ] to indicate the ellipsis means that.

ἐλλείπειν would seem to encompass both meanings - deliberate and involuntary omission.

[P. G. Tipps]

Exactly.

Well, maybe not ...

My dictionary defines 'aposiopesis' as 'the device of suddenly breaking off in the middle of a sentence as if unwilling to continue'.

I certainly continue to believe that 'suspension point' is the most accurate description for a '...' . I have never, ever wished to signal that I might be unwilling to continue when using this device. Heavens, no ...

[jean]

My dictionary defines 'aposiopesis' as 'the device of suddenly breaking off in the middle of a sentence as if unwilling to continue'.

That's right - what I called a meaningful pause.

For this rhetorical trick, suspension points is indeed a better term than ellipsis, but only ever in the plural.

The phrase is almost certainly - as ff says above - a translation of the French points de suspension, familiar to me from the many thousands of French dictations inflicted on me at school. The device occurred with remarkable frequency in those passages, possibly to trick us into writing out the words instead of the punctuation they represented...

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[Lat-Literal]

The BBC said this morning something along the lines that Prince William is ceasing work for the East Anglian rescue services that he joined and maybe even leaves - I am not quite sure what they said about the timing - as plain William Wales, Duke of Cambridge. I don't understand this description. Surely he is William Windsor? In what situations is his surname Wales?

[ahinton]

The BBC said this morning something along the lines that Prince William is ceasing work for the East Anglian rescue services that he joined and maybe even leaves - I am not quite sure what they said about the timing - as plain William Wales, Duke of Cambridge. I don't understand this description. Surely he is William Windsor? In what situations is his surname Wales?

When his BMI's being checked, perhaps, given the continuing currency of the phrase "the size of Wales"...

[vinteuil]

The BBC said this morning something along the lines that Prince William is ceasing work for the East Anglian rescue services that he joined and maybe even leaves - I am not quite sure what they said about the timing - as plain William Wales, Duke of Cambridge. I don't understand this description. Surely he is William Windsor? In what situations is his surname Wales?

... I don't think he has a 'surname' as such.

Wiki is your friend -

"Titles and styles
21 June 1982 – 29 April 2011: His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales
29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge
in Scotland: 29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Earl of Strathearn

The hereditary titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus were announced on the morning of his wedding, and formally patented a month later. He is a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.

As a British prince, William does not use a surname for everyday purposes. For formal and ceremonial purposes, the children of the Prince of Wales use the title of "prince" or "princess" before their Christian name and their father's territorial designation after it. Thus, Prince William was styled as "Prince William of Wales". Such territorial designations are discarded by women when they marry and by men if they are given a peerage of their own, such as when Prince William was given his dukedom.

For the male-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, however, there is currently some uncertainty over the correct form of family surname to use, or even whether there is a surname. The Queen has stipulated that all her male-line descendants "who do not bear the titular dignity of prince" shall use Mountbatten-Windsor as their family surname (although Letters Patent exist stipulating the name Windsor, but with the same caveat). According to their flight suits as seen in television interviews, Princes William and Harry both used Wales as their surname for military purposes; this continues to be the case for William since his creation as Duke of Cambridge."

[ahinton]

... I don't think he has a 'surname' as such.

Wiki is your friend -

"Titles and styles
21 June 1982 – 29 April 2011: His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales
29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge
in Scotland: 29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Earl of Strathearn

The hereditary titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus were announced on the morning of his wedding, and formally patented a month later. He is a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.

As a British prince, William does not use a surname for everyday purposes. For formal and ceremonial purposes, the children of the Prince of Wales use the title of "prince" or "princess" before their Christian name and their father's territorial designation after it. Thus, Prince William was styled as "Prince William of Wales". Such territorial designations are discarded by women when they marry and by men if they are given a peerage of their own, such as when Prince William was given his dukedom.

For the male-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, however, there is currently some uncertainty over the correct form of family surname to use, or even whether there is a surname. The Queen has stipulated that all her male-line descendants "who do not bear the titular dignity of prince" shall use Mountbatten-Windsor as their family surname (although Letters Patent exist stipulating the name Windsor, but with the same caveat). According to their flight suits as seen in television interviews, Princes William and Harry both used Wales as their surname for military purposes; this continues to be the case for William since his creation as Duke of Cambridge."

The identity crises of the UK Royals looks to be a large enough subject for a book.

[french frank]

Wiki is your friend

Thanks to Jimmy Wales …

[Zucchini]

How do they get all that on his credit cards?

[Lat-Literal]

... I don't think he has a 'surname' as such.

Wiki is your friend -

"Titles and styles
21 June 1982 – 29 April 2011: His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales
29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge
in Scotland: 29 April 2011 – present: His Royal Highness The Earl of Strathearn

The hereditary titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus were announced on the morning of his wedding, and formally patented a month later. He is a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.

As a British prince, William does not use a surname for everyday purposes. For formal and ceremonial purposes, the children of the Prince of Wales use the title of "prince" or "princess" before their Christian name and their father's territorial designation after it. Thus, Prince William was styled as "Prince William of Wales". Such territorial designations are discarded by women when they marry and by men if they are given a peerage of their own, such as when Prince William was given his dukedom.

For the male-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, however, there is currently some uncertainty over the correct form of family surname to use, or even whether there is a surname. The Queen has stipulated that all her male-line descendants "who do not bear the titular dignity of prince" shall use Mountbatten-Windsor as their family surname (although Letters Patent exist stipulating the name Windsor, but with the same caveat). According to their flight suits as seen in television interviews, Princes William and Harry both used Wales as their surname for military purposes; this continues to be the case for William since his creation as Duke of Cambridge."

Thank you.

A perfect answer.

Thanks to Jimmy Wales …

[Serial_Apologist]

This would appear to be the only appropriate place for this - unless anybody has other ideas??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbCiNdAAUM4

[french frank]

Wo'bou' u, Serial? U wiv da Co'ney stil, or dis nu stuff?

[Padraig]

This would appear to be the only appropriate place for this - unless anybody has other ideas??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbCiNdAAUM4

Thanks, S_A. I enjoyed that! And not a pedanticism in sight, so far.

[vinteuil]

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... tho' it wd have been good if she had pointed out that gloʔal stops are also standard in RP - I recall from undergraduate linguistics seminars (circa 1971) where it was reported that in RP a glottal stop was normal in department / /dɪˈpɑːʔmənt/, expected in button /bʌʔn/ but still suspect in mutton - [ /mʌt(ə)n/ preferred to /ˈmʌʔn/].

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