In your message of 11:11 Jul 27 1997, you write:
> Dear friends, I wonder what (sic) stands for, as in the paragraph below:
>
> >"power...is and (sic) [an] understanding of the way people in society
> >understand things in general around them."
>
> Yours confused,
>
> Kent Lofgren
>
> University of Umea
> Pedagogiska Institutionen
> S-901 87 Umea
> Sweden
>
> Tel: 46 + (0)90 - 786 64 32 (office)
> Fax: 46 + (0)90 - 786 66 93
>
Kent,
A good question.
People sometimes use the word "sic", from the Latin meaning thus or so;
the intention is to show that something has been reproduced faithfully
in its original form. Typically, people use it when they are quoting a
passage in which there is a spelling or grammar mistake so that readers
know the mistake was the quoted author's and not the quoting author's.
In the passage above, it is clear that the word "and" should have been
"an", and this is indicated by the second author using square brackets.
While the use of "sic" can sometimes be helpful, in other situations it
is simply pretentious. (Pretentious, adj.: making claims to some
distinction or importance; affectedly grand, superior.) Readers can
decide for themselves in this situation.
Hope that's helpful.
Blaine
--
> Dear friends, I wonder what (sic) stands for, as in the paragraph below:
>
> >"power...is and (sic) [an] understanding of the way people in society
> >understand things in general around them."
>
> Yours confused,
>
> Kent Lofgren
>
> University of Umea
> Pedagogiska Institutionen
> S-901 87 Umea
> Sweden
>
> Tel: 46 + (0)90 - 786 64 32 (office)
> Fax: 46 + (0)90 - 786 66 93
>
Kent,
A good question.
People sometimes use the word "sic", from the Latin meaning thus or so;
the intention is to show that something has been reproduced faithfully
in its original form. Typically, people use it when they are quoting a
passage in which there is a spelling or grammar mistake so that readers
know the mistake was the quoted author's and not the quoting author's.
In the passage above, it is clear that the word "and" should have been
"an", and this is indicated by the second author using square brackets.
While the use of "sic" can sometimes be helpful, in other situations it
is simply pretentious. (Pretentious, adj.: making claims to some
distinction or importance; affectedly grand, superior.) Readers can
decide for themselves in this situation.
Hope that's helpful.
Blaine
--