3

John McCarthy, Father of Artificial Intelligence, just passed away. I just read an article about him, which stated that

he championed mathematical logic for Artificial Intelligence.

I am not sure of the meaning of champion, although I have seen it used in several similar occasions. I just looked it up and assume that it means to defend or to support.

My intuition is that champion could be the very word we should think of in the first place in this context. Is that true? Could any other word be a better alternative here?

Improve this question
3
  • It's an adjective in the Midlands (UK) — "that's champion".
    – Chris S
    Oct 25, 2011 at 13:57
  • 1
    "Champion verb: champion something to fight for or speak in support of a group of people or a belief" — Ofxord Advanced Learner's Dictionary. No research done, voting to close as general reference.
    – Kris
    Sep 21, 2012 at 12:08
  • Given that (at this date, more than four years after it was asked) the question has drawn 8973 views, I think it ought to be grandfathered past close-vote referendums that challenge its lack of research and its open-ended request for "a better alternative."
    – Sven Yargs
    Jan 24, 2016 at 8:27

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
10

To champion something is to promote it.

Improve this answer
5

Yes. To 'champion' in this context, means to be its defender and protector. In your example, John McCarthy being the champion of mathematical logic for AI means he argued in favor of that approach to achieving AI.

Improve this answer
3

The previous two posters are right. Champion is first recorded as a verb in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, although with a different meaning from that in your example. It was first used figuratively in the sense ‘maintain the cause of, stand up for, uphold, support, back, defend, advocate’ in 1844. (Source: OED)

Improve this answer
3
  • Is that really a different meaning from the example above? It seems to be exactly what John McFarthy did for AI (except, probably, for physically defending it, but I'm not even sure about that).
    – Joachim Sauer
    Oct 25, 2011 at 6:38
  • No, it isn't. It was the use in 'Macbeth' that was different. There it meant 'to challenge to a contest; to bid defiance to'. That meaning is now obsolete.
    – Barrie England
    Oct 25, 2011 at 7:17
  • Oh, I see. Sorry I misread your post (I missed the "in 1844" part, interpreting it as "It was first used figuratively.")
    – Joachim Sauer
    Oct 25, 2011 at 7:20
0

Consider the following:

  1. With the exception of this line in Macbeth III.1:

    come, fate, into the lists
    And champion me to the utterance

    the word champion is only used as a noun by Shakespeare.

  2. With one exception¹, champion as a noun in Shakespeare always has the clear meaning of “supporter or representative in a cause”.

With all due respect to Dr. Johnson’s interpretation of champion me as “fight against me”, is it not then possible that Macbeth is calling to fate to be his strong representative in his endeavours, despite the witches’ predictions? That is, “Come into the lists as my champion, and fight against whatever forces [Fortune, etc.] might oppose you.”

¹ The exception: In Venus and Adonis, Adonis is in one place referred to as “her [meaning Venus’s] champion” when Venus tries to compel Adonis to mount her. The metaphor here would appear to be Adonis = knight, Venus = knight’s steed, so that “her champion” = “her rider”.

Improve this answer
2
  • I think not. Macbeth has just been gnawing on the sisters' prophesy that Banquo is destined to father a line of kings which will wrench the scepter from Macbeth's hand. Fate is thus the champion of Banquo's line, and it is in that capacity that Macbeth challenges fate.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Sep 21, 2012 at 12:23
  • Isn't this going at a tangent to OP's context? Or at least, much farther than it warrants? :)
    – Kris
    Sep 21, 2012 at 12:35
0

To "Tout" something ?

From Merriam-Webster:

  • to talk about (something or someone) as being very good, effective, skillful, etc.

  • to try to persuade people to buy your goods or services

  • to buy tickets for an event and resell them at a much higher price

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    Are you aware that this is a public board? You are dramatically increasing the amount of spam to your inbox by posting your email address here.
    – Matt E. Эллен
    Jan 23, 2016 at 11:05
  • @MattE.Эллен - I was about to remove it. Is that not the protocol?
    – Mazura
    Jan 23, 2016 at 11:13
  • Feel free to edit it out. I hadn't seen that post. I wouldn't say that that post offers consensus, as very few people have seen it, but I agree that the address is noise.
    – Matt E. Эллен
    Jan 23, 2016 at 12:45

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.