...and that must lead us to the conclusion that every person born in the United States is a natural-born citizen of such States, except it may be that children born on our soil to temporary sojourners or representatives of foreign Governments, are native-born citizens of the United States.
- from 1866 debate in US House of Representatives
I think the modern ear takes "except" as a conjunction here, reversing the intended meaning. Does anyone agree?
Or would you say that the sentence fragment is simply ambiguous?
- A.
- from 1866 debate in US House of Representatives
I think the modern ear takes "except" as a conjunction here, reversing the intended meaning. Does anyone agree?
Or would you say that the sentence fragment is simply ambiguous?
- A.
Hi,
I don't want to venture an opinion on this.
For some background,look here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause_of_the_U.S._Constitution
Clive
I don't want to venture an opinion on this.
For some background,look here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause_of_the_U.S._Constitution
Clive
Comments
That's where I began.
I felt that common sense gave the correct meaning, but that to read it that way was extremely awkward, at least to my ear.
I wondered if I were alone.
Rgdz, - A.
Bear in mind it was said in 1866.
Clive
I take it as something like, "All children in the US are fat, except they be malnourished."
I think "except" is a preposition. I think it means "unless."
All children in the US are fat, except some are malnourished.
I think it's a conjunction here.