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Literary notes about OR (AI summary)

The word “or” functions as a versatile disjunctive conjunction in literature, often used to present alternatives, clarify ambiguity, and add rhetorical flair. For example, in technical or scientific discussion, it can denote precise alternatives as in [1], where “or” separates distinct conditions in a factual explanation. In narrative works, “or” is employed to introduce shifts in tone or to enrich characterization, such as in [2] when redefining an enemy as “my natural prey,” or in [3] where it builds dramatic tension. It is also used to signal consequences or augment contrasts, as seen in examples like [4] and [5], indicating alternative outcomes that affect meaning or action. Across genres—from the precise language of academic texts to the inventive expressions of fiction—“or” serves as an essential tool for guiding readers through complex alternatives and layered interpretations.
  1. Application to immersed or floating bodies (principle of Archimedes;) verificatory experiments.
    — from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
  2. “Yes; one of my natural enemies, or, shall I say, my natural prey.
    — from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  3. I will cut thy throat one time or other, in fair terms; that is the humour of it.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  4. The answer to the question will tell us clearly whether we are to separate, or to remain together and for far longer than this one evening.
    — from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  5. ‘It will now cost us a battle for life or death; but do be careful to keep the leaf.’
    — from The Red Fairy Book

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