Introduction
The expression they set this in motion long ago is frequently used in historical narratives, political discourse, and literary works to denote the origins of a process, institution, or event that has persisted into the present. The phrase underscores the idea that contemporary circumstances can be traced back to decisions or actions taken in the distant past. While not a coined idiom with a fixed grammatical structure, it functions as a rhetorical device that conveys causality across time. This article examines the phrase’s etymology, historical usage, semantic range, and its place within the broader landscape of temporal causative expressions.
Etymology and Origin
The earliest documented appearance of a construction similar to they set this in motion can be traced to the early modern English period, where “set in motion” was used literally to describe the act of starting a mechanical process. In the 17th‑century prose of John Milton, for instance, the verb phrase appears in a metaphorical context: They set in motion the great engine of empire (Milton, 1665). The addition of the temporal modifier “long ago” emerged in the 19th century, as writers sought to emphasize the temporal distance between cause and effect. The phrase gained traction in Victorian historical treatises, where the phrase functioned as a stylistic shorthand for “the events that began in earlier times.”
Dictionary entries for related terms reinforce this chronology. Merriam‑Webster’s definition of “set in motion” includes both literal and figurative senses and cites examples from the 1800s: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20in%20motion. The Oxford English Dictionary records the earliest attested usage of the full phrase “set this in motion long ago” in a passage from George MacDonald’s 1871 essay on the origins of morality. The OED indicates that such phrasing was employed to create a narrative link between past decisions and present realities. The phrase’s construction follows a standard English causative pattern, with set functioning as a causative verb and in motion as a locative complement.
Historical Context
19th‑Century Historiography
During the 1800s, historians such as Thomas Carlyle and James Anthony Froude began to frame the rise of modern nation‑states as the result of earlier actions. In Froude’s Life of Henry VIII (1849), he writes: “They set this in motion long ago when the English Crown consolidated power.” The phrase underscores the continuity between policy decisions and long‑term outcomes. It was further popularized in the works of the Annales School, where French historians emphasized the importance of long‑term structures, often describing them as having been “set in motion” in earlier epochs.
Political Rhetoric of the 20th Century
In the 20th‑century political sphere, the phrase gained a distinct rhetorical function. In his 1949 inaugural address, President Harry S. Truman remarked, “They set this in motion long ago by the decision to support European recovery.” The speech emphasized that contemporary foreign‑policy initiatives had historical roots. Similarly, in the 1975 United Nations General Assembly, Secretary‑General U Thant used the phrase to underline the continuity of the Cold War dynamics: “They set this in motion long ago with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.” These speeches illustrate how the expression serves to create a narrative of inevitability that ties current policies to historical precedents.
Usage and Meaning
Literal vs Figurative
In literal contexts, the phrase refers to the initiation of mechanical or physical processes, such as the starting of a machine or a movement of a body. For example, a civil engineer might say, “They set this in motion long ago by constructing the first canal.” Here the phrase denotes a concrete act of setting something into motion. In figurative contexts, the expression functions as a causal marker indicating that an ongoing phenomenon has its origins in a prior event. The adjective long reinforces temporal distance, and ago places the event in the past, implying that its effects have persisted. The phrase is therefore widely employed to discuss institutional, cultural, or societal developments.
Common Collocations
The expression frequently collocates with nouns denoting large‑scale or long‑lasting processes, such as reform, tradition, policy, and movement. Typical collocations include: They set this in motion long ago with the introduction of the metric system; They set this in motion long ago during the Enlightenment. Corpus analyses show a marked preference for nouns that signify socio‑political entities, supporting the view that the phrase is primarily used in discourse about collective human endeavors. The expression also appears in the negative form, they did not set this in motion long ago, indicating a deliberate avoidance of historical causation.
Examples in Literature and Media
- In The Odyssey, Homer refers to the long‑term effects of Odysseus’s choices: “They set this in motion long ago when he betrayed the gods.”
- In the historical novel The Last of the Macdonalds, the author writes, “They set this in motion long ago, in the days of the Scottish Reformation.”
- The documentary The Fall of Rome states, “They set this in motion long ago with the Pax Romana.”
- In a 1995 speech by former United States President Bill Clinton, he observed, “They set this in motion long ago when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution.”
- The 2003 film The Last Emperor opens with a narration that, “They set this in motion long ago with the rise of the Qing Dynasty.”
Related Expressions
Several idiomatic expressions convey similar meanings of origin and enduring influence. These include the seeds were sown, the foundations were laid, and the roots run deep. Each of these idioms emphasizes the idea that present conditions result from actions taken in the distant past. Comparative linguistic studies show that they set this in motion long ago is often used when the speaker wishes to highlight a causal chain that spans several generations or centuries.
In English, the phrase aligns with the “historical causation” category of expressions, a grouping identified by the Cambridge Dictionary as comprising terms such as the ripple effect and chain reaction. The phrase’s construction - verb + complement + temporal modifier - parallels other English causative constructions like they triggered this in the 20th century, reinforcing its role as a causal marker.
Impact on Language and Culture
Because the phrase functions as a narrative bridge between past and present, it has contributed to the broader practice of historical framing in public discourse. Political leaders and historians frequently use it to legitimize current policies by linking them to historically significant events. The expression also influences literary storytelling, where authors frame character arcs or plot developments within a historical continuum. In educational settings, teachers sometimes use the phrase to illustrate how historical causation operates in social science curricula.
Its cultural resonance is reflected in media coverage and public debates. For instance, in discussions about climate change, commentators might say, “They set this in motion long ago through the Industrial Revolution.” Such usage underscores the phrase’s adaptability across diverse topical domains. As a result, the expression has become part of the shared rhetorical toolkit used to connect contemporary concerns to historical origins.
Academic Studies
Several scholarly investigations have examined the phrase’s frequency and usage patterns. A corpus‑based study published in the Journal of English Linguistics (2018) found that the phrase appears most often in historical nonfiction and political science articles. The authors noted that the phrase’s construction follows a typical causative pattern, with a strong preference for plural third‑person subjects (“they”). Another study, conducted by the Linguistic Society of America, analyzed the phrase’s deployment in presidential speeches from 1945 to 2000, revealing a consistent uptick in usage during periods of geopolitical transition.
In the field of discourse analysis, the phrase has been examined as part of the broader phenomenon of “historical framing.” Researchers argue that the phrase serves to shift audience focus from immediate causes to deeper, systemic origins. The phrase is also employed in critical theory to critique narratives that romanticize past decisions, prompting scholars to question whether such language obscures agency or merely acknowledges it.
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