Talk:so help me God
Latest comment: 4 years ago by Backinstadiums in topic etymology
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Isn't this simply a wish commonly used in oaths, similar to "may God help me"? Not in published general dictionaries in OneLook. ←₰-→ Lingo Bingo Dingo (talk) 14:43, 21 January 2019 (UTC)
- It's very much a set phrase at this point, as indicated by its continued use despite the somewhat archaic grammar and as indicated by the derivate so help me. Keep, imo. — Mnemosientje (t · c) 14:54, 21 January 2019 (UTC)
- It may be the original form, but it's mostly been replaced in modern English by so help me. I would call it an alternative form, albeit perhaps a bit stronger. As for being SOP: it definitely was, originally, but now most speakers are unaware of the literal meaning and would have difficulty parsing the archaic wording to figure it out. Chuck Entz (talk) 15:19, 21 January 2019 (UTC)
- The implied imprecation in the etymology provided (“The phrase implies that the speaker is willing to risk their chance of salvation upon their truthfulness”) makes this somewhat different from a simple wish. --Lambiam 20:49, 21 January 2019 (UTC)
- That implication about risking salvation seems rather strong, though perhaps it might occasionally be understood to mean that during oaths before testimonies. But it makes no sense to interpret it like that for swearing in for an office or when making a promise, then it is just a request for divine aid.
←₰-→Lingo Bingo Dingo (talk) 10:16, 28 January 2019 (UTC)
- That implication about risking salvation seems rather strong, though perhaps it might occasionally be understood to mean that during oaths before testimonies. But it makes no sense to interpret it like that for swearing in for an office or when making a promise, then it is just a request for divine aid.
- I remember when I was a child, if I was misbehaving, my mother would walk in the room and say "So help me God!", and that meant that if I didn't start behaving right away, I'd get a whuppin'. bd2412 T 03:53, 24 January 2019 (UTC)
- Inclined to keep. Per utramque cavernam 19:23, 24 January 2019 (UTC)
- Keep like "once upon a time": the archaic grammar diminishes the ability to sum its parts, and the meaning is now usually specific, used in specific circumstances like the definition mentions, not just at any time when one would like to invoke God's help. If you are lost and say "I will find my way to the restaurant, so help me God", it comes across like a resolute oath that you will find your way, quite different to an "I think I can, I think I can"-style "I will find my way to the restaurant, if you help me out here, God" or a more resigned-to-whatever-may-happen or even disinterested-in-going "I will find my way to the restaurant, inshallah". - -sche (discuss) 21:11, 4 February 2019 (UTC)
- Keep; set phrase. D. Benjamin Miller (talk) 20:24, 14 March 2019 (UTC)
etymology[edit]
Could somebody analyse how the sentence is sparsed? --Backinstadiums (talk) 15:14, 14 May 2020 (UTC)