[General] commit (1)

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you tell me your opinion concerning the interpretation of the expressions in bold in the following sentences?

If you are very ill, you have to commit yourself to doctors and nurses.

The prisoner was committed for trial (i.e. sent before the judges to be tried).

The body was committed to the flames, (i.e. burnt)

commit = hand over or give up for safe keeping; entrust; cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

 

[milan2003_07]

Dear teachers,

Would you tell me your opinion concerning the interpretation of the expressions in bold in the following sentences?

If you are very ill, you have to commit yourself to doctors and nurses.

The prisoner was committed for trial (i.e. sent before the judges to be tried).

The body was committed to the flames, (i.e. burnt)

commit = hand over or give up for safe keeping; entrust; cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

"Commit" has many meanings. If you commit yourself to doctors and nurses, you entrust them your health and allow them to treat you the way they consider necessary and appropriate. I'm not sure about "commit for trial" and let's wait for natives to comment upon it. The phrase "commit to flames" (without "the") means "to burn", like you've suggested. We can also "commit a body to the ground", which means to bury it in the ground. It's possible "to commit something to paper", which means to write it on the paper (to put it down on the paper). If you "commit a person to prison" you incarcerate them there. "Commit to work" implies to show someone, who is probably a newbie, what should be done and how it should be done. "Commit to memory" means to memorize something and to learn it by heart.

There are definitely more expresions with commit of such kind.