Linguistic disputes often affect already seemingly settled and familiar words. Increasingly, people pay attention to literacy, work on themselves, and this cannot but rejoice. "Eat" or "eat" - how to say it correctly, in what situations is it appropriate to use and is it worth it to correct others if they use the wrong, in your opinion, version of the word? Philologists have already given explanations, and people continue to argue by inertia, or by defending personal views.
You can eat, but you can eat
Is there any fundamental difference between these words? By and large, this is “eating”, “eating”. In semantic meaning, these are absolutely equal words, why are some people so indignant when they hear a variant that is not suitable, in their opinion,? So eat or eat, how to speak, so as not to annoy anyone and not look funny?
Perhaps the secret lies in the scope of each individual word. If we eat, this is a daily and even routine process that does not constitute anything extraordinary. But when the children are called to the table, they usually eat “eat”. We can assume that we are talking about a kind of diminutive and caressing version of a more down-to-earth “is”.
Stylistic synonyms
These words refer to stylistic synonyms and are not fully interchangeable. Despite the absolutely identical semantic content, it’s worth figuring out - is it still eating or eating? How to speak and in what situations?
A feature of stylistic synonyms is that they are used for emotional coloring of expression in different cases. For example, the well-known expression “Eat served” may sound too solemn or even pathos, but this is an appropriate case of the use of this word. If two businessmen, preparing for lunch, say, “Let's go eat,” this sounds strange and cuts the ear. But the same phrase, addressed to a small child, most organically fits into the situation.
Is it right to say "eat"
"Butterfly Beauty, eat jam." The quote from Chukovsky’s “The Fly-Tsokotuha” perfectly illustrates the situation in which the word is used absolutely correctly. Eat or eat, how to speak? If we are talking about inviting guests to the table, then it will be appropriate to suggest eating, not eating, and, of course, not eating.
The circle of persons is traditionally outlined in relation to which it is not forbidden to use this word. Guests can eat, including restaurant guests, children and women. Men cannot eat, and this may even seem like discrimination. But only young children or people who want to emphasize their weakness, infantilism and trepidation can talk about themselves "I eat".
What is more correct to say, “let's go eat” or “let's eat”? If you say this to a small child, then you can use the first option, but if the conversation is with an adult, then the second. If you feel patronizing and even paternal (or maternal) feelings for the interlocutor, then the use of the phrase “let's go to eat” is stylistically and emotionally justified, but be prepared for the fact that this can distort your counterpart.
Is it - rude or natural?
The objections that you can usually hear from fans of the word “eat” are usually in the alleged rudeness and earthiness of the word “eat”. Does it really sound so rude?
The eating process has many names of varying degrees of expressiveness, among them there are crude and openly slang expressions. How to eat or eat? But you can still eat, chop, grunt, chew, trample, haw, slurp, swallow, eat. And all these synonyms differ only in the degree of expression and stylistic relevance. So "is" is the most neutral of the options.
Food and meals
Perhaps the essence of the matter lies not in the eaters themselves, but in what lies in the plate? In fact, how is food different from dishes? Both are food. However, a plate of buckwheat with a cutlet is rather food, but the delicacy served on a special occasion to dear guests is rather a meal. Of course, this division is somewhat outdated, now the borrowed foreign word “delicacy” is used, it has firmly taken the place of “food” on the holiday tables covered with a snow-white starched tablecloth.
Even at the beginning of the last century, some hundred years ago, it was the dishes that were served on the tables, and this included not only dishes, but also drinks. It is unlikely that then someone would think about how to eat or eat correctly. However, after the revolution in October 1917, war was declared on all the noble and philistine. So under the Bolsheviks, people stopped eating and began to eat more prosaically.
Have some tea
Now it’s pretty funny to hear that someone was offered to bite tea, coffee, and even vodka. “I ate a glass of vodka” - it was said that with apparent pleasure and, perhaps, even with relish, I drank a strong drink. It can be assumed that a stylistically close word is “to feast on,” to eat or drink with pleasure.
Talking about how to say “eat” or “eat” correctly, one can easily forget that many of the words in our vocabulary have retained a certain imprint of time. For example, the notorious news recently that coffee can now be considered a noun of a secondary kind, gave rise to heated linguistic battles.
Emotional coloring of speech
The main complaint to the word "eat" is that it often colors the context in servile and some pleasing notes. In most cases, this is inappropriate, but there are options when, for the sake of an emotional emphasis, you can not make such sacrifices. In disputes about how to say “eat” or “eat” correctly, an important nuance is completely missed. With the help of the lexicon, a person unconsciously draws his psychological portrait, signals to others how to perceive it.
Men, in order to emphasize their masculinity, try to exclude from the vocabulary all diminutive and affectionate phrases, this is “lisp”, unworthy of a real warrior. And how then will the severe Viking, the hunter and the patriarch in general, eat? Only children and light airy ladies eat, the diet of which consists only of candied petals and honey dew. It is easy to understand that women who consider the word “to be” too rude and somehow physiological tend to use the vocabulary to construct a mental image of the ideal representative of the beautiful half of humanity, namely the butterfly-beauty, who can eat jam with a thin silver spoon.
Nevertheless, even in the last century, the phrase "I eat" from the lips of an adult was considered ridiculous and inappropriate. Since this word indicates reverence to guests, it turns out that the speaker expresses respect in his own address.
However, if in verbal speech emotional coloring can be given only by intonation and facial expressions, without resorting to stylistic synonyms, then written speech is deprived of such an opportunity.
Text intonation and literary techniques
In fiction, stylistics requires close attention, especially if you need to emphasize the character's characteristics. Understanding how to say correctly, “eat” or “eat”, many forget that in addition to verbal speech, there are other ways of transmitting information. Even in a letter, wishing to convey a caring intonation, it would be appropriate to ask not how the addressee eats, but whether he eats well. Of course, you should not ask such a question to your boss or a business partner, but it is quite possible for a friend, even if she is a stern and emancipated woman.
On the pages of a work of art using the word "eat" you can form the intonation that will sound in the head of the reader. This helps to show the character more vividly. If the hero offers to eat, then it is unlikely that he will be perceived as a kind, courteous and helpful person.
“Eat” or “eat”, how to say and write correctly - depends on your goals and the stylistic coloring of the information message transmitted in writing or verbally. This is the key to understanding the appropriateness of choosing synonyms.