quasi-quotation
C2Formal, Academic, Technical
Definition
Meaning
A partial or indirect quote, often paraphrased or summarized rather than reproduced verbatim.
In formal logic and philosophy, a technical device used to talk about expressions indirectly, often represented with corner quotes or other symbols, allowing mention of an expression without using its standard meaning.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term carries a dual meaning: 1) In everyday/journalistic use, it implies a loose approximation of someone's words. 2) In logic/philosophy of language, it is a precise formal mechanism for syntactic quotation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage; the term is equally technical in both varieties.
Connotations
In academic contexts, it is a neutral technical term. In general use, it may carry a slightly negative connotation of imprecision or misrepresentation.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general corpora; found almost exclusively in philosophical, linguistic, and logical texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] employs quasi-quotation to [purpose].The text contains a quasi-quotation from [source].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this term]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in reports discussing misquotation in media.
Academic
Primary context. Used in philosophy of language, logic, linguistics, and sometimes in literary theory.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Precise term in formal semantics and mathematical logic for a notational device.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The journalist quasi-quoted the minister's remarks.
- They tend to quasi-quote from ancient texts.
American English
- The author quasi-quoted the court transcript.
- He quasi-quotes frequently in his essays.
adverb
British English
- The statement was reported quasi-quotationally.
- He wrote quasi-quotingly from the source material.
American English
- The passage was rendered quasi-quotationally.
- She summarized the speech quasi-quotingly.
adjective
British English
- The quasi-quotation marks indicated a paraphrased section.
- He used a quasi-quotation style throughout.
American English
- The quasi-quotation approach is common in legal summaries.
- She identified a quasi-quotation instance in the article.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The newspaper did not use his exact words; it was a quasi-quotation.
- In the summary, the writer used a quasi-quotation of the president's speech.
- The biography is filled with quasi-quotations, making it difficult to know what the subject truly said.
- The philosopher employed quasi-quotation to discuss the syntactic properties of the sentence without committing to its truth.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'QUASI' (meaning 'almost like') + 'QUOTATION' (a quote). It's an 'almost-quote'—not the exact words.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A PRECISE TOOL (when technical); COMMUNICATION IS A GAME OF TELEPHONE (when general).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calquing as 'квазицитирование' unless in a technical logic paper. In general contexts, use 'неточная цитата' or 'пересказ цитаты'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'misquotation' (the latter implies error; quasi-quotation can be intentional).
- Using it in casual contexts where 'paraphrase' is sufficient.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is 'quasi-quotation' a precise technical term?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In everyday language, yes, they are very similar. However, in technical philosophy, 'quasi-quotation' refers to a specific formal notation, while 'paraphrase' is a general term for rewording.
Use 'quasi-quotation' when emphasizing the technical, notational aspect (in logic) or when highlighting that the wording is an approximation but presented in a quotational form. 'Indirect speech' is a broader grammatical category.
They can be if presented as direct quotes, as they misrepresent the speaker's exact words. Ethical journalism requires clear distinction between direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.
Corner quotes (also called Quine quotes) are commonly used, e.g., ⌜expression⌝, or other bracket notations like [expression] with a special typographical convention.