[Idiom] 'Breathe a prayer'

[Olympian]

Hello,

In a news story about the 70th birthday of Mount Rushmore, the following lines appeared about the sculptor here.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who started the project at age 60, died unexpectedly seven months before the project was declared complete Oct. 31, 1941, built on his desire to “show posterity what manner of men they were. Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away.”
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What is the meaning of 'breathe a prayer'? Is it same as 'to say a prayer' or could it be referring to 'breath prayer' ? I have read the phrase 'offer a prayer' before, but not 'breathe a prayer'.

Thank you

 

[Barb_D]

For this purpose, it's the same as "say a prayer."

 

[Olympian]

For this purpose, it's the same as "say a prayer."

@BarbD, thank you.

 

[BobK]

Think of contexts in which people pray. Often 'say a prayer' becomes whisper or breathe a prayer. (Note the spelling of 'breathe'; it reflects a pronunciation different from that of 'breath': /bri:ð/, not /breθ/ - and the final consonant sound is different as well as the vowel sound.)

b)

 

[Olympian]

Think of contexts in which people pray. Often 'say a prayer' becomes whisper or breathe a prayer. (Note the spelling of 'breathe'; it reflects a pronunciation different from that of 'breath': /bri:ð/, not /breθ/ - and the final consonant sound is different as well as the vowel sound.)

b)

@BobK, thank you. :up: