Grammar And Usage
By Mitch Berg
Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:
This headline bugs me. “Former Somali refugee poised to serve. . . .”
“Former” means “isn’t anymore.” It’s a word that modifies another. A person who retired and moved to Florida would be a “former Minnesotan.”
Here’s the thing: in my world, “former” only modifies one word at a time. So if she’s a Former Somali, then she’s something else, maybe American?
But is she still a refugee? How – she’s lived here long enough to become a citizen and win an election. Or is she a Former Somali Former Refugee?
Or is she still Somali because that’s a Good Thing (like being Irish) but she’s a former refugee so the headline should read Somali Former Refugee?
Joe Doakes
While I’m pretty sure adjectives can modify noun phrases – like “Somali Refugee” or “cluelss Liberal” – I take the point.
August 17th, 2016 at 6:17 am
How about “former shoe-in”, or “the scam artist formerlely known as front running candidate”?
August 17th, 2016 at 6:18 am
Formerly known as
August 17th, 2016 at 9:38 am
How about this one: reformed terrorist? All it would require to change the implications would be a 12-step program and some federal dollars.
August 17th, 2016 at 10:15 am
Given that blacks are now “African Americans” despite the fact that many of them can trace ancestors in America for more than 200 years, calling someone a refugee after only a decade of residence is certainly in the realm of possibility.
August 17th, 2016 at 12:54 pm
She is a former refugee from Somalia. Therefore the grammar is correct. She is still from Somalia, she is no longer a refugee. I suggest the next time you struggle with this concept, you try diagramming the sentence to clarify for yourself what word modifies other words.
Somalia modifies, describes, and elaborates on refugee. Former modifies Somalia refugee.
Simple. Correct.
August 17th, 2016 at 2:58 pm
DG
De minimus, but correct – as people usually are when they agree with my assessments of things.