Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
construe en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɒnstəɹ/ (obsolete)
- /kənˈstɹuː/
- (US) audio
- (UK) audio
Etymology
From Middle English construen, from Late Latin construo, construere (“to relate grammatically”), from Latin construo (“pile together”); doublet of construct.
Meanings
-
A translation.
Prayers and calling-over seemed twice as short as usual, and before they could get construes of a tithe of the hard passages marked in the margin of their books, they were all seated round, and the Doctor was standing in the middle, talking in whispers to the master.
1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:
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An interpretation.
Forms
Translations (30)
de Analyse (interpretation) · pt interpretação (interpretation) · eo interpreto (interpretation) · pl tłumaczenie (translation) · de Interpretation (interpretation) · eo traduko (translation) · de Ableitung (interpretation) · de Übersetzung (translation) · bg тълкуване (interpretation) · ru истолкова́ние (interpretation) · sv översättning (translation) · nl vertaling (translation) · pt tradução (translation) · de Auslegung (interpretation) · sv uppfattning (interpretation) · pl tłumaczenie (interpretation) · ru перево́д (translation) · bg превод (translation) · nb oppfatning (interpretation) · ca interpretar (interpretation) · nl interpretatie (interpretation) · pl translacja (translation) · de Deutung (interpretation) · nb oversetting (translation) · pl interpretacja (interpretation) · ru толкова́ние (interpretation) · sv tolkning (interpretation) · nb fortolkning (interpretation) · de Auffassung (interpretation) · nb tolkning (interpretation)
construe en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɒnstəɹ/ (obsolete)
- /kənˈstɹuː/
- (US) audio
- (UK) audio
Etymology
From Middle English construen, from Late Latin construo, construere (“to relate grammatically”), from Latin construo (“pile together”); doublet of construct.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To understand (something) as meaning, to take to mean.
Bru[tus]. […] But let not therefore my good Friends be greeu'd
(Among which number Cassius be you one)
Nor conſtrue any further my neglect,
Then that poore Brutus with himſelfe at warre,
Forgets the ſhews of Loue to other men.
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 110, column 1:The world must construe according to its wits; this court must construe according to the law.
1954, Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons:
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(transitive) To interpret (something) to another or publicly, explain the meaning of (something, usually language).
This is a new fashionable proverb, which I must construe to you.
1750, “To [Sir Horace Mann], Feb. 25. — Ministerial quarrels […] ”, in The Letter of Horace Walpole, Earl of Oxford, volume II, London: Richard Betley, New Burlington Street, published 1840, page 319:
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(transitive) To analyze the grammatical structure of a clause or sentence; to parse.
Thus, in a sentence such as:
(113) John considers [_S Fred to be too sure of himself]
the italicised Reflexive himself can only be construed with Fred, not with John: this follows from our assumption that non-subject Reflexives must have an antecedent within their own S. Notice, however, that in a sentence such as:
(114) John seems to me [_S — to have perjured himself]
himself must be construed with John.
1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 8, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 436:
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(ergative) To admit of grammatical analysis.
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(transitive) To translate.
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To infer.
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(obsolete) To explain.
Bru[tus]. […] Portia go in a while,
And by and by thy boſome ſhall partake
The ſecrets of my Heart.
All my engagements, I will construe to thee,
All the Charractery of my ſad browes.
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 116, column 2:
Forms
Deriveds
construable · construction · unconstrued · reconstrue · construance · misconstrue · construal · construer · deconstrue
Relateds
instrument
Translations (39)
is útleggja (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de zergliedern (to analyze the grammatical structure) · ru толкова́ть (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · nl begrijpen (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · ru истолковывать (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · sv förstå (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de auslegen (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · is skýra (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de interpretieren (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · pl rozbierać gramatycznie (to analyze the grammatical structure) · de ableiten (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · enm construen (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · sv tolka (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · hu értelmez (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · pl tłumaczyć (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · is túlka (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de zerlegen (to analyze the grammatical structure) · eo konjekti (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · cmn 識解 /识解 (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · ru разбира́ть (to analyze the grammatical structure) · de deuten (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de analysieren (to analyze the grammatical structure) · pl interpretować (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de bilden (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · fr comprendre (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · fi jäsentää (to analyze the grammatical structure) · fr expliquer (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · nl uitleggen (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · eo klarigi (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de verbinden (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · is greina (to analyze the grammatical structure) · hu elemez (to analyze the grammatical structure) · bg правя разбор (to analyze the grammatical structure) · nb tolke (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · de auffassen (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · nb oppfatte (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · sv uppfatta (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · fi tulkita (to interpret or explain the meaning of something) · bg тълкувам (to interpret or explain the meaning of something)