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  1. #1
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    Question Account- account for

    Is to account a synonym of to consider?
    In the next sentence: The traditional account of the death of Moctezuma is that having been taken a willing hostage by Hernán Cortés and the conquistadors, he was killed by his own outraged people, could I say that Moctezuma was accounted(or considered) by have been killed by his own outraged people.
    Another question: Is account for a synonym for to explicate, so might I say: The consideration of Moctezuma as a traitor accounts for his killing by his own people.
    Well, I suppose there will be a lot of mistakes. Please, correct me!!!

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    Hi maramaras:

    The traditional account of the death of Moctezuma is that having been taken a willing hostage by Hernán Cortés and the conquistadors, he was killed by his own outraged peopl


    In this sentence "account" means, explanation, tale, story or version and is not a synonym of consider.

    The consideration of Moctezuma as a traitor accounts for his killing by his own people.

    This sentence is fine. In this context consideration means "taking into account" or "considering that" Mocteczuma was a traitor...and "accounts for" is used as "explains why" he was killed.

    I'm not sure what explicate means...that's a new word for me.


    BTW: I thought that Mocteczuma was strangled by Cortez?
    vicente

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    Quote Originally Posted by maramaras
    Is to account a synonym of to consider?
    In the next sentence: The traditional account of the death of Moctezuma is that having been taken a willing hostage by Hernán Cortés and the conquistadors, he was killed by his own outraged people, could I say that Moctezuma was accounted(or considered) by have been killed by his own outraged people.
    Another question: Is account for a synonym for to explicate, so might I say: The consideration of Moctezuma as a traitor accounts for his killing by his own people.
    Well, I suppose there will be a lot of mistakes. Please, correct me!!!
    You can say:
    Moctezuma was considered to have been...
    You cannot say:
    Moctezuma was accounted by...

    to account for = to explain
    account = story, explanation (noun)

    explicate: to give a detailed explanation of, to develop the implications of, analyze logically
    (I had to look this one up. I don't ever remember hearing this word! (I'm a native English speaker.)
    Apparently "explication" is also a word, but if I were you I'd stick to explain/explanation.
    Last edited by mariaklec; 04-10-2009 at 08:04 PM.

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    Senior Member Hebe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Account- account for

    I totally agree with Vicente and MAriaklec. Account for is a a synonymof explain or justify.

    Best regards


    Truly, my dear young friends, you are a chosen generation. I hope you will never forget it.
    Gordon B. Hinckley

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    Quote Originally Posted by mariaklec
    explicate: to give a detailed explanation of, to develop the implications of, analyze logically
    (I had to look this one up. I don't ever remember hearing this word! (I'm a native English speaker.)
    Apparently "explication" is also a word, but if I were you I'd stick to explain/explanation.


    De acuerdo. Aunque sean palabras válidas, explicate, explication no son palabras corrientes. In all my years (which are many) I have never seen or heard these words so for clarity, I too, would use explain/explanation instead.
    vicente

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    This is not my business... and poking my nose into your conversation, but "explicate" and "explication" they do exist, and they come from Latin as we know.

    To explicate means to unfold something, i.e. to explicate a poem. I've found these links amongst others which can provides us some "explanations".

    Sometimes "to explicate" goes along with its opposite meaning "to implicate"... if I'm not mistaken.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explication
    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicate

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    Quote Originally Posted by Faroá
    This is not my business... and poking my nose into your conversation, but "explicate" and "explication" they do exist, and they come from Latin as we know.

    To explicate means to unfold something, i.e. to explicate a poem. I've found these links amongst others which can provides us some "explanations".

    Sometimes "to explicate" goes along with its opposite meaning "to implicate"... if I'm not mistaken.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explication
    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explicate

    Hello Faroá...your "nose" and input are welcome into the conversation I hope you understand that neither mariaklec nor I were questioning the existence of the words. Mariaklec (and I, too, now that I know) acknowledge that they exist, but why employ a limited use word like explicate that others might not know and you are unlikely to ever see again when you can use a more common word? The point is that they are not commonly used words and it would be better for a student of English such as maramaras to use more easily recognizable words in the early stages of her learning process.



    On the topic: Her question was whether "account for" was a synonym of "to explicate" and from my understanding of the definition of explicate I'd say that "to account for" as a phrasal verb meaning "to make clear or to explain" is, indeed, loosely synonymous.


    P.S. I'm not sure how you are making the association but I do not think implicate is the opposite, or an antonym, of explicate.

    Antonyms of explicate:cloud, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, tangle

    Synonyms:amplify, clear up, construe, demonstrate, develop, dilate, elucidate, enlarge upon, enucleate, expatiate, explain, expound, give the big picture, illustrate, interpret, make clear, make explicit, make plain, run down, spell out*, tell why, unfold, untangle, work out

    and possibly "account for"


    I must admit that this has taught me a new word...explicate...even if I never get to use it at least I will recognize it in the future.

    Saludos!
    Last edited by vicente; 04-11-2009 at 01:15 PM.
    vicente

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    It seems that "explicate" is used as a technical term in analytic philosophy and literary theory (per my dictionary and the Wikipedia reference given by Faroa). To use this in normal conversation, when it isn't distinct from the widely understood "explain," would seem pretentious.

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    Default Re: Account- account for

    Quote Originally Posted by vicente
    Hello Faroá...your "nose" and input are welcome into the conversation I hope you understand that neither mariaklec nor I were questioning the existence of the words. Mariaklec (and I, too, now that I know) acknowledge that they exist, but why employ a limited use word like explicate that others might not know and you are unlikely to ever see again when you can use a more common word? The point is that they are not commonly used words and it would be better for a student of English such as maramaras to use more easily recognizable words in the early stages of her learning process.



    On the topic: Her question was whether "account for" was a synonym of "to explicate" and from my understanding of the definition of explicate I'd say that "to account for" as a phrasal verb meaning "to make clear or to explain" is, indeed, loosely synonymous.


    P.S. I'm not sure how you are making the association but I do not think implicate is the opposite, or an antonym, of explicate.

    Antonyms of explicate:cloud, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, tangle

    Synonyms:amplify, clear up, construe, demonstrate, develop, dilate, elucidate, enlarge upon, enucleate, expatiate, explain, expound, give the big picture, illustrate, interpret, make clear, make explicit, make plain, run down, spell out*, tell why, unfold, untangle, work out

    and possibly "account for"


    I must admit that this has taught me a new word...explicate...even if I never get to use it at least I will recognize it in the future.

    Saludos!
    No, I didn't say that you were questioning the existence of this word. Maybe I have "complicatio" rather than "explicatio" myself.
    Thank you for your "explicações" (explanations).
    Greets,
    Faraó

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    Thumbs up Re: Account- account for

    All right!!! All your answers are so useful for me.!! I´m writing new sentences soon to see if I´ve understood.
    This forum is the greatest!. I think I´ve already said this ........
    Best regards!

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