[PW] ? Origin of the Phrase 'Generous Interpretation'

[Dennis Lien]

At 10:53 AM 5/17/2007, you wrote:
>Dear Colleagues -
>Does anyone know the origin of the term 'generous interpretation'?  Its
>general meaning is something like this: instead of criticizing what
>someone has said and saying or taking the position that the person is
>wrong, one would rather first seek the reason behind the statement
>(either the context or the person's background etc.), in order to get a
>broader understanding of the statement or philosophical position etc.
>Another term is 'crabbed interpretation'.  Can anyone shed like on the
>origin of these terms?   Thank you in advance.
>Bruce
>thornlowb at ndu.edu

For what it's worth...

Oldest example I find in JSTOR is from page 127 of this article:

Marshall's Principles of Economics
John B. Clark
Political Science Quarterly > Vol. 6, No. 1 (Mar., 1891), pp. 126-151

where context is:

"By a generous interpretation of Richardo's own words the author
makes them foreshadow much of what is most valuable in recent writing."

*************

Earliest I find in NEW YORK TIMES fulltext is from 1855:

THE IRISH IN-AMERICA.; Letter from Rev. Thomas Reardon in Regard
to Irish Entgratilon to American.
New York Daily Times (1851-1857). New York, N.Y.: Oct 6, 1855. ; p. 2


"If you would look at my words in the soft light of your own unprejudiced
feelings, you would, I am sure, give them a more generous interpretation."


***********

Earliest in google in book search however is from 1804:



Public Characters - Page 548
by Alexander Stephens - 1804
... still put a candid and generous interpretation on his conduct, an 
intrepretation
that leaves them possessed of the conviction, that Mr. Martin has ...


****

No idea about origin, other than that the phrase seems an obvious one
for the concept...

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // d-lien at umn.edu