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The Seductive Allure of Phrasal Verbs
Why quick-fix compensations for lack of vocabulary can cause unintended difficulties
Before we begin to discuss the topic of phrasal verbs in the English language, it’s worthwhile to begin with a preamble on the topic of language itself.
Most people would agree that the main function of language is to communicate, albeit imprecisely, the thoughts of one person to another. Thus there is a functional core that must be sustained if language is to persist. This is what drives us to agree that the word tree will primarily mean a form of plant that has roots, a trunk, branches, and leaves. By analogy, similarly-shaped structures that are not plants can also be called trees; thus we have B-tree indexes in computer software, the notion of “the tree of life” which is a diagram of how life evolved from simple single-celled organisms up to the complex varieties seen today, as well as several other analogies, all based on the fundamental structure of a typical tree.
But all of this would fall apart if you choose to believe that tree really means “a metal structure powered by an engine, possessing four wheels and a steering mechanism, and interior seating” while your neighbor chooses to believe that tree really means “a large hairy primate living in rain forests.” So we tend to attempt…
