A related convention used is taken from an old trick in interpretation of any text: when a Person or persons (with similar habits) use a word in a similar context: then the word will mean the same thing. For example (and I know I'm getting ahead of myself here): "establishment" is used twice in the whole of the Constitution as amended. In '''Article VII''' and the 1st Amendment. By this convention the word must mean the same thing in both appearances (even though one is capitalized and the other isn't) so that one can use the context and meaning of the one to clarify the context and meaning of the other. Given the assertion that the Founding Fathers were very careful in the grammar they used, I imagine that this is a very reasonable claim to make.</blockquote> | A related convention used is taken from an old trick in interpretation of any text: when a Person or persons (with similar habits) use a word in a similar context: then the word will mean the same thing. For example (and I know I'm getting ahead of myself here): "establishment" is used twice in the whole of the Constitution as amended. In '''Article VII''' and the 1st Amendment. By this convention the word must mean the same thing in both appearances (even though one is capitalized and the other isn't) so that one can use the context and meaning of the one to clarify the context and meaning of the other. Given the assertion that the Founding Fathers were very careful in the grammar they used, I imagine that this is a very reasonable claim to make.</blockquote> |