Talk:read

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Braille[edit]

Hi

I thought I would find some discussion here. This word has so many similar but different meanings and uses.

One question I have is: should 'read Braille' be a separate entry, or is it just an example of an entry already in place?

Algrif 15:28, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not: the question is whether 'read Braille' has meaning beyond read + Braille? Doesn't seem to. Robert Ullmann 15:43, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was thinking about: read = to understand the meaning of (signs, characters, etc.) otherwise than with the eyes, as by means of the fingers: to read Braille.

Algrif 17:13, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The meaning is "understanding, discerning". It does not seem to imply the need for visually reading text. In fact, one can "read the stars", or "read a fortune". That sort of thing. 120.29.109.137 04:30, 5 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

From RFV[edit]

The following discussion has been moved from Wiktionary:Requests for verification.

This discussion is no longer live and is left here as an archive. Please do not modify this conversation, but feel free to discuss its conclusions.

I'm RFV-ing three senses:

  • (intransitive) To have the ability to read text or other information.
    He could read by the age of three.

This one isn't even supported by the hypothetical sample sentence; the "ability" part of the definition corresponds to the word "could", not to the word "read".

—RuakhTALK 18:49, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Although the example is bad, the intransitive meaning is correct. Substitute the example sentence:
  • He likes to read while riding the bus.
And modify the definition to somehting like "to engage in the activity of reading text or other information." --EncycloPetey 23:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
O.K., I see what you're saying. Fixed, thanks. :-) —RuakhTALK 12:05, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • (intransitive) Of text, etc., to be interpreted or read in a particular way.
    Arabic reads backwards.

Does this sense differ from English's normal mediopassive voice that allows transitive verbs to be used passively, but without being syntactically marked as passive, to express a general property of a thing? (As in, "that soup eats like a meal", "that car drives like a Porsche", and so on.)

—RuakhTALK 18:49, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes it does because it isn't followed by a "like a..." phrase. You could also use the example:
  • That sentence doesn't read right.
Meaning that it is written in such a way that the reader is confused. --EncycloPetey 23:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, I think I gave bad examples. I don't think the like a isn't necessary; you can also say "Amphibious car drives over water"BBC; but then, "car drives" gets an amazing number of hits, so maybe "drives" has developed an intransitive sense? (Sorry, the mediopassive voice confuses me, can you tell? :-P) —RuakhTALK 12:17, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Isn't that confusion a good reason to explicitly give the sense? (However, many hits for car drives are referring to the plural noun drives, modified by car, another case of a part of speech exceeding its natural authority, although I think that for that case, the consensus was that we would not create additional Adjective headings for most Nouns listed, so maybe I'm being inconsistent.) --Enginear 17:31, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Wipe this table: "This table wipes easily." Sing our song: "Our song sings beautifully." Caugh up a hairball: "A hairball caughs up periodically." Erase memory: "Memory erases irreversibly." Tie silk laces: "Silk laces tie loosely." Restrain wild animals: "Wild animals restrain with difficulty." Climb a sturdy ladder: "A sturdy ladder climbs safely." Mention the incident: "The incident mentions frequently."
Not all of these roll off the tongue, but it seems like a grammatical construction that's pretty easy to come about.
Annoy my parents: "My parents annoy quickly?" Call a friend: "A friend calls regularly?" Greet a guest: "A guest greets happily?" It doesn't look like this is always possible though. DAVilla 14:11, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Is the difference that in the former cases, an active reading is impossible (since tables don't wipe things, song don't sing things, etc.), while in the latter, that's not the case (since people do do those things)? —RuakhTALK 15:31, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

RFV tag removed, because this doesn't seem to be an issue for RFV. (Sorry about that!) —RuakhTALK 21:09, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

  • (slang, Central Pennsylvania) To make ready or to clean up.
    Go read up your room!

This seems plausible, but if it is real, then it seems like it probably comes from ready, in which case it should appear with a different etymology, and possibly a different inflection and/or pronunciation. (?)

—RuakhTALK 18:49, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Now this one I've never heard of. It may be regional if it is real. --EncycloPetey 23:47, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I concur that this sense needs explicit verification. --Connel MacKenzie 06:35, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Some selective Googling [link] suggests this might be an attempt at spelling "red up"/"redd up" (both of which get plenty of relevant b.g.c. hits; and "redd" has a supporting entry in the O.E.D.). So, probably delete. —RuakhTALK 18:28, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

RFV failed, sense removed. —RuakhTALK 21:09, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Another verb sense?[edit]

If somebody says "this doesn't read very professionally" (meaning that it is an amateurish piece of writing), is that sense covered in the entry? 86.131.94.183 19:26, 5 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

 Done "Of text, etc., to be interpreted or read in a particular way." Equinox ◑ 00:57, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Adverb[edit]

'Read' might well be an adverb, but this is still a normal verb use-it doesn't mean 'in other words' as 'you should read'. 89.240.207.27 22:18, 8 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

 Done It's given as a verb, not an adverb. Equinox ◑ 00:57, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Translations[edit]

There is "have the ability to read text or other information" in the translation table, but there is no such definition. Maro 12:39, 15 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Missing slang verb sense: drag queens[edit]

Seems to be used by drag queens. Something to do with insulting someone. See e.g. [1]. Also read someone to filth. Equinox ◑ 00:56, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Equinox: Wikipedia defines "reading" as "making insulting observations about one's peers for comic effect". Not sure how to cite it, though. —Μετάknowledgediscuss/deeds 01:05, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]
"Read" has a sense in AAVE and broader slang, probably the same sense as is used above. A while ago, Rachel Dolezal did an interview in which the interviewer called her out on claiming to be black, and talked about how it was a charade for her (Dolezal) whereas the interview couldn't turn her own blackness off if the police pulled her over, etc. On various sites, people said the interviewer had "read" Dolezal. At the time I supposed it meant something like "see and call out (someone) for problematic behaviour". Incidentally, Googling "read Dolezal" turns up the headline Rachel Dolezal claps back at her haters, another slang phrase we're missing. - -sche (discuss) 01:27, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]
Azizi Powell has collected these definitions of "read" and "read to filth": "really let someone have it; to insult or criticize", "tell someone about themself, mostly used by gay black men". Azizi also has an example of the noun read denoting an instance of such telling or "a taunt or mockery", with the usex when she said that you should have taken the receipt with your haircut, that was a read.
I can find some citations of "read to filth". - -sche (discuss) 01:37, 21 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]
I've managed to cite the noun and the verb by searching for "read" + "throw shade". - -sche (discuss) 01:29, 22 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

(read:[edit]

What about euphemism (read: non-euphemism)--Simplificationalizer (talk) 22:41, 12 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

We already have it: "Used after a euphemism to introduce the intended, more blunt meaning of a term." Equinox ◑ 23:14, 12 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Tea room convo[edit]

--Barytonesis (talk) 11:39, 27 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]


Gathic Old Iranian[edit]

Old Iranian Gathic "ratus" would seem to be close to German Rat. Is it a known root for E read, G Rat ...?? Skeptiker (talk) 10:31, 14 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to know more.120.29.109.137 04:38, 5 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]
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