Personal Online Journal

Monday, October 06, 2014

The Odd Use of the Word "Even"

Sometimes LDS speakers in General Conference use the word "even" in an unfamiliar way. One phrase is "even Jesus Christ". If you search the usage of it in the scriptures you will find many. As I have thought about it, I think it might mean something similar to the phrase, "the very same". So if someone says "even Jesus Christ", it may mean "the very same Jesus Christ I have told you about."

The MacMillan dictionary captures this definition

Even is used for emphasis mainly before a word, a phrase, or a clause beginning with "as," "if," or "though." When emphasizing verbs, even comes before an ordinary verb: They even served champagne at breakfast. But even comes after an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or the verb "to be": She doesn't even know his name. ♦ Some computers can even talk to you.

Sometimes even is used after a word for emphasis: São Paulo is a huge city, larger even than New York. ♦ The task might be difficult, impossible even.

  1. used for showing that you are saying something that is surprising
    not even
    even now (=used for saying it is surprising that something still continues)
    even then (=used for saying that something is surprising after what has happened)
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