"Evolutionary common sense would suggest that this leopard — an island inhabitant, after all — might well be a species all its own, distinct from its mainland relatives."
In the above sentence. what does "after all" mean? The meaning of "after all" is frequently used, but in this case, it seems the conventional definition doesn't work well. In other words, what's the function of this phrase to connect the rest of the sentence? Many thanks.
2007-10-31 05:04:09 · 5 answers · asked by Shan 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
This expression is indeed appropriate for this sentence.
"After all" used here means:
"since it is."
To rewrite the sentence a bit:
"Evolutionary common sense would suggest that his leopard, since it is an island inhabitant, might be a species all its own that is distinct from mainland species."
Now--doesn't that make perfect sense? You bet.
Note that you must treat the AFTER ALL as an idiom. That is, you CAN'T break it down into its constituent parts. You must accept the expression as a whole and provide it with a definition.
And it is NOT short for AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE.
Note too that the context tells you EXACTLY the meaning of the words. You don't even have to resort to using the dictionary when common sense will do.
2007-10-31 05:42:21 · answer #1 · answered by dnldslk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is short for "after all is said and done." In other words, what is left when all else has been considered. The essence of the subject.
The fact that the leopard is an island inhabitant is a very strong point in the argument. It is a polite way of saying "Ya Nah Na ,Na Na!"
Great question and, as you see,very hard to answer.
2007-10-31 12:18:11 · answer #2 · answered by picador 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are some speculations on whether "this leopard" is an island inhabitant or not. So that in that sentence -after all means yes it's true/it's proven that "this leopard" is really truly an island inhabitant.
2007-10-31 12:14:17 · answer #3 · answered by Ms.A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Split it into two parts....
"after" and "all"
"After all" thats happend, the leopard is an island inhabitant.
That is where time has deemed it.
2007-10-31 12:11:17 · answer #4 · answered by JestandIllusion 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it means something like "of course". I don't think it fits well in this sentence either.
2007-10-31 12:09:00 · answer #5 · answered by Alisa C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋