| 词组 | otherwise |
| 释义 | otherwise The problem here is that old devil grammar. The commentator with the problem is Fowler 1926, who, as Bernstein 1971 puts it, "worked himself into a thousand-word lather over what he deemed misuses of otherwise." This time Fowler had not missed something in the OED, as he had with other than; the construction upon which he intended mayhem was not really covered in the OED, having become established only at the end of the 19th century (the OED Supplement dates it from 1886). The problem, as Fowler saw it, was or otherwise tacked on after an adverb, adjective, or noun (or verb, the OED Supplement adds) to indicate its contrary. (In actual use otherwise may also indicate an indefinite alternative, not necessarily a contrary.) Fowler decided that otherwise had to be an adverb and so rejected or otherwise when attached to an adjective or noun. Bernstein and Copperud 1970, 1980 point out that otherwise is an adjective in most dictionaries, and they dismiss Fowler's objections (repeated by Phythian 1979) as pendantry. They tend to accept his objections to or otherwise attached to a noun, however. The difficulty with all this ratiocination is that otherwise, one of our oldest everyday words, is far too flexible to be confined in the rigid part-of-speech categories of Latin. An example: • No record exists of an Indian maiden, beautiful or otherwise —American Guide Series: Minnesota, 1938 Our commentators would parse otherwise as an adjective here because it indicates the contrary of beautiful. But let us look at another implied contrary of an adjective—this one familiar from children's play: • Here I come—ready or not. Surely none of our commentators would reject not here because it is not an adjective. Nor would they argue that it must be an adjective because it is paired with ready. But enough of these grammatical puzzles. Here are some examples in which or otherwise (or and otherwise) suggests a contrary: • ... certain people whose deeds, admirable or otherwise, entitle them to more public attention —John Fischer, Harper's, December 1971 • ... the stability or otherwise of this resolved and obstinate war Government —Sir Winston Churchill, The Unrelenting Struggle, 1942 • ... we are shown portraits, prints, and drawings, contemporary and otherwise —Times Literary Supp., 27 Aug. 1971 • ... this cluster of shops for visitors, barefoot and otherwise —Southern Living, July 1972 • ... essays by 16 Hardy enthusiasts, scholarly and otherwise —Peter Gardner, Saturday Rev., 21 Feb. 1976 • ... endurance tests to prove their fitness or otherwise for the status of manhood —Francis Birtles, Battle Fronts of Outback, in Wanderers in Australia, ed. Colin Roderick, 1949 • ... the principal's willingness or otherwise to give it —Freeman Wills Crofts, The Loss of the 'Jane Vos-per', 1936 The phrases are not uncommonly linked with a noun used as an adjective: • ... personalities, show biz and otherwise —Daisy Maryles, Publishers Weekly, 5 July 1976 • He has his wardens confiscate the tackle of the fisherman, VIP or otherwise, who spins in a fly stream —Fitzhugh Turner, Outdoor Life, February 1972 • ... could be discussing their hits, baseball and otherwise —People, 22 Nov. 1976 Otherwise may also imply an unspecified alternative, rather than a simple contrary. One of these examples shows otherwise linked with an impeccable adverb and so meets even Fowlerian standards of acceptability. • ... if vacancies happen by resignation or otherwise during the recess of the legislature of any State — Constitution ofthe United States, 1787 • It was clear that an effort was being made to intimidate senators and so prevent any laws, punitive and otherwise, from being enacted —Oliver St. John Gogarty, It Isn't This Time of Year At All!, 1954 • ... for most travelers, European or otherwise — Robin Prestage, Saturday Rev., 1 Jan. 1972 • They also were too apathetic or inexperienced to set rules for themselves, either academically or otherwise —Edith Hollerman, Change, Summer 1971 These constructions are standard, every one. |
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