Why "a Jehovah's Witness" is grammatically wrong

[Sheep]

And this is true IF you are using Jehovah's Witness as a possessive noun - rather than a TITLE, but it does NOT hold - IF you are using it as a title - as we have seen done in many of the quotes.

. . .

Answer, "Oh, it was a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

 

In the expression "a Jehovah's Witness" (and I repeat myself), "Witness" is singular. But our title is "Jehovah's Witnesses," plural. So is it used as a title in "a Jehovah's Witness"? I'm not sure. I'm not 100% certain either if plural/singular makes a difference. I don't remember reading anything on that.

When I researched this subject some years ago, I recall reading about some exceptions on the rule about not being able to use an article with a possessive noun. (Note to Jerry: It was mentioned in one of the links I PM'd you about some time back. Do you remember it?) For example, it would be correct to say "the Smith's house" (definite article with a possessive noun), but I don't recall the reason why it's an exception. There was another example mentioned too, but I don't remember what it was either. Maybe it was about the title thing.

I don't have a good memory these days.

Anyway, once again, it's not really a big issue. Even if someone says "a Jehovah's Witness," we understand what is meant. We can cope with each other's grammatical errors.

[bohemian]

I remember the 'good old days' when witnesses wasn't capitalised. That made it plain what we were.

[Pjdriver]

I think Neil hit the nail on the head.

If you use it strictly as a title..." I am a Jehovahs Witness", would be grammatically correct.

If we think more in terms of a personal relationship...then "I am one of Jehovahs Witnesses" is correct.

The delema is most of us think in terms of a personal relationship, with Jehovah being someone's Personal name.

so the first example doesn't sound right.

Most in the world will say "a Jehovah's witness" because they think in terms of it being just another name of a religion.

It's all about how we are using it....as a personal relationship...beings witness for a certain person, OR strictly an impersonal title.

I like to think of it as something personal, as I think all true witness of Jehovah should. BUT, if someone uses it in the form of a title... We really can't tell them it is incorrect.

[Pjdriver]

Hello!

 

I have often heard that the expression "I am a Jehovah's Witness" is wrong from a grammatical point of view. The right way of expressing it would be "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses" or "I am a Witness of Jehovah".

 

Would somebody please explain the grammatical reason why it is wrong? I know I received an explanation once, but I am unable to remember or to locate it.

 

Actually, "a Jehovah's Witness" doesn't sound right to me, but who am I to say?

Several times I've had people say: "you're a Jehovah". I think this shows they're using it as a title and not a personal name.

I simply reply by saying " I'm not really " a Jehovah". That is Gods personal name. We're called Jehovahs witnesses, because we teach people all about God and his purpose for the earth and mankind."

Then I hope that prompts some questions.

Edited December 6, 2014 by Pjdriver

[boodles]

Carlos, you don't really have this problem in Spanish since there is no possessive "s", right? You just say, "I am a witness of Jehovah" (Soy un testigo de Jehovah) and that describes our relationship to Jehovah. If we want to use the correct title, "Testigos de Jehova", we have to use the plural and say, "Somos Testigos de Jehova", or "We are Jehovah's Witnesses".

 

So, thinking about this in Spanish helps me to see what y'all were saying about it being a title. So really, if we say, "I am a Jehovah's Witness" we are using it as a title and changing the title of our religion from "Jehovah's Witnesses" to "Jehovah's Witness" so it agrees with the singular article.

 

That's my analysis but I feel like I'm missing something...

[Sheep]

Loraine, you made me think of something... even though I should have thought of it anyway. We don't have that problem in French either (French and Spanish have the same Latin roots). We say Je suis témoin de Jéhovah, or I am a witness of Jehovah. There are no possessive nouns in French, although there are possessive pronouns. There is no use of a title there either. So the way we say "Jehovah's Witnesses" in French is Témoins de Jéhovah, or Witnesses of Jehovah. It makes a lot more sense actually.

 

In French we say a lot of things better than in English. But specifics on that don't belong in this thread.

[maladee]

(eyeroll)  can we go back to discussing pizza please

[kejedo]

The short answer: I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses is correct and more formal. I am a Jehovah's Witness is acceptable,but less formal or even colloquial.                          

 

The long answer:

"I/He/She is one of Jehovah's Witnesses," is preferred and used many times over, in our literature, compared to "I am a Jehovah's Witness."  But this is not exclusive. Of course when quoting a non-witness source that uses........."a Jehovah's Witness," our brothers do not change it. On the other hand, there are a number of references in our literature that use "a Jehovah's Witness," as stated by our brothers, sisters, or their children:   In a Watchtower of Feb 1, 1985, a brother writes: It was at this point in my life that one of my acquaintances, a Jehovah’s Witness named Clovis........... This is obviously acceptable to our Governing Body. 

 Watchtower 8/1/79 -

In 1948, a Filipino Witness heard a Kingdom song being whistled by a man on the roof of a government building on Guam. He recalls: “I asked him, . . . ‘Are you a Jehovah’s Witness, too?’ After a joyful, ‘Yes,’ this carpenter scooted down the ladder and we clasped each other, laughing like long-lost brothers.”

Awake 11/22/93 “I’m going into fifth grade and I’m not sad to admit that I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. One time a boy said to me that I must feel bad because I didn’t get any gifts at Christmas, but I said I get gifts all year. Then he said I was lucky. I think there should not be a Jehovah’s Witness who feels sorry about being a Jehovah’s Witness.”—Jeff, age 10. (10 year old uses both renderings acceptably).

1/22/88 Awake The following appeared in The Times of London: “Warning to all business executives who occasionally tell little white lies—before you employ a new secretary, check her religion. A prominent City figure, called to the telephone to speak to someone he was trying to avoid, told his temporary secretary: ‘Tell him I’m busy and that I’ll call him back later.’ He couldn’t believe his ears when she replied, in all seriousness: ‘I can’t tell lies—I’m a Jehovah’s Witness.’”

8/22/77 Awake The fact is that God does know how to treat this rampant “sickness of character,” and is doing so among millions of people. Take, for example, the Brooklyn deliveryman who found that $25,000 bag of money and took it to the police. What was it that caused him to do so? The report in the Long Island Press quotes him as saying: “As a Jehovah’s Witness, I try to uphold the teachings of the Bible in my daily life. We point to Hebrews 13:18.” There the Bible says of Christians: “We trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”

 I have heard some of our brother's make some grammatical error or other, but our writing staff really nails it. 

Edited December 23, 2014 by cvillarrubia

[kejedo]

My conclusion, "I'm a Jehovah's Witness," is generally used (and understood) in conversation, but the more formal, "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses," is preferable in writing.  

[carlos]

Thank you, Pauline.

 

It's very clear now.