his/my obeisances

[Guest guest]

>From a letter to me:

>

>> > I suggest that you delete "his/my" in the

>> > several uses of "his/my obeisances/respects" (Thus "He offered

>> > his obeisances" would become "He offered obeisances").

>>

>> Its actually another one of those ISKCON corruptions.

>> Technically it should be "He offered obeisance." But in ISKCON we

>> make 'obeisance' plural when this is grammatically wrong. Similarly

>> with 'my obeisances' etc.

>

>Doesn't the idea of offering obeisanceS (plural) indicate the

>intention of offering obeisance multiple times?

 

The meaning of "obeisance" starts with "obedience." So to "offer one's

obeisance" means to present oneself as an obedient servant.

 

A later meaning is our usual one, "A bodily act or gesture expressive

of submission or respect." It's usually singular. But the OED quotes,

from Walpole, "The herald made three obeisances."

 

So it's not "grammatically wrong."

 

Hare Krsna.

 

--ys, js