King: sought him

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Marius Hancu - 29 Aug 2010 17:23 GMT

Hello:

"sought him"
for
"pursued him,"
is that obsolete these days?

----
It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard, the dark
and booming place where some hideously familiar figure sought him
down long corridors carpeted with jungle.

Stephen King, The Shining
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 29 Aug 2010 17:45 GMT

>Hello:
>
>"sought him"
>for
>"pursued him,"
>is that obsolete these days?

"sought" implies that the "familiar figure" did not know exactly where
"he" was. The figure was seeking him.

"pursued" implies that the "familiar figure" knew where "he" was. The
figure was folowing him.

>----
>It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard, the dark
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Stephen King, The Shining
>----

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Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 29 Aug 2010 17:54 GMT

>>Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>"pursued" implies that the "familiar figure" knew where "he" was. The
>figure was folowing him.

That doesn't answer your question. I don't think I would expect "sought"
in more recent work, but I don't read much fiction at all. (I'm fully
occupied with a pile of books that "I must read sometime".)

>>----
>>It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard, the dark
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>>Stephen King, The Shining
>>----

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Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Ian Jackson - 29 Aug 2010 22:58 GMT

>>>Hello:
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>>>Stephen King, The Shining
>>>----

But what is unusual about "sought"? As you say, the 'familiar figure'
was 'seeking him' (looking for him) - and "sought" is the past tense of
"seek".

OK, you could use alternative words ("hunted (for)", "looked for",
"tracked" etc, and even, as suggested, "pursued"*), but "sought" seems
fine.
*I don't think that "pursued" necessarily means that the familiar figure
definitely knew *exactly* where he was, so it's also (sort-of) OK.

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Ian

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 29 Aug 2010 23:02 GMT

>>>>Hello:
>>>>
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>*I don't think that "pursued" necessarily means that the familiar figure
>definitely knew *exactly* where he was, so it's also (sort-of) OK.

Yes. It crossed my mind that in the context seeking and pursuing would
have overlapping meanings.

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Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Marius Hancu - 30 Aug 2010 16:55 GMT

On Aug 29, 6:02 pm, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> On Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:58:44 +0100, Ian Jackson
>
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
> Yes. It crossed my mind that in the context seeking and pursuing would
> have overlapping meanings.

My main concern is this "obsolete" in this dictionary:
----
seek:
transitive verb

1 obsolete : to follow or advance against in order to attack : PURSUE
<of us must Pompey presently be sought, or else he seeks out us --
Shakespeare>

M-W U
----

Thus, is "seek" when seen as "pursue" obsolete these days?

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Peter Moylan - 31 Aug 2010 01:16 GMT

> My main concern is this "obsolete" in this dictionary:
> ----
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Thus, is "seek" when seen as "pursue" obsolete these days?

I have a feeling it's still used by people who design weapons.

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Peter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org
For an e-mail address, see my web page.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / August 2010

King: sought him