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UFO UpDates Mailing List

From: John Rimmer <magonia@magonia.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 23:49:11 +0000
Fwd Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 15:29:14 -0500
Subject: Re: Abduction - The Issue Of Reality


>To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@globalserve.net>
>From: Jerome Clark <jkclark@frontiernet.net>
>Subject: Re: Abduction - The Issue Of Reality
>Date: Sun, 07 Feb 99 11:29:03 PST

>Kevin, there is no such thing as "the abduction phenomena."
>Check your dictionary for the difference between "phenomena" and
>"phenomenon." There are "abduction phenomena" (missing time,
>gray aliens, anomalous scars, and the like), and then there is
>"the abduction phenomenon" (the generic issue we're discussing
>here).

>Jerry Clark

As Jerry seems to be the self-appointed grammarian-in-chief to
the world of ufology, throwing his [sic]s around willy-nilly,
let's have a look at this alleged linguistic horror.

Any objection to the phrase "the abduction phenomena" must be
based on the assumption that a plural (phenomena) cannot be
linked to a singular (abduction). He admits however that there
are a number of separate phenomena related to abductions, so how
are these to be referred to, in the absence in English of a
plural definite article analagous to le/les in French?

Making both words plural, as "the abductions phenomena" would
only be valid if we were comparing a number of unrelated forms
of abduction, such as criminal kidnappings and abductions in
legal custody battles, as well as alleged alien abductions.

I think it is fairly self evident that "the abduction
phenomenon" refers to the collectivity of reported experiences
of abduction; whereas "the abduction phenomena" refer to the
variety of separate phenomena which are reported as individual
experiences within that collectivity. So let us discuss the
issues (in what has been up to now a singularly well- focussed
and well-argued debate by all sides on this list) and avoid
making dubious points by displays of pedantry.

Dr. Syntax, alias
--
John Rimmer
www.magonia.demon.co.uk
Abandon hope all ye who press Enter here