Appraisives in the Early Constitution: An Introduction

Peter J. Aschenbrenner, Purdue University

Abstract

The vocabulary of the federal constitution includes appraisives such as ‘needful’, ‘comfort’ and ‘good.’ These are words employed when the writer is making a value judgment and wants the reader to know that a judgment has been made at the time of the communicative act. In addition, these words can be employed when the writer permits, commands, or prohibits the reader’s conduct in the future. Appraisives used in the Early Constitution are surveyed.