se faire

10:10 Jun 21, 2013 

It's been confirmed that there was indeed a missing "reconnaître". Thanks to Alison for finding that at least snippets are available online - I'll check that first if anything similar arises. Thanks also to everyone who pointed out the likelihood of ellipsis. I'm awarding the points to Nikki on the basis that hers was the rightest answer to the question as asked. Indeed my own reading is that her answer is actually closer to what the author meant than the "se fait reconnaître" she wrote.

06:55 Jun 20, 2013 

Thanks Nikki. No intention to offend anyone.
To these peers with answers to this question that felt like you my apologies in advance.
I think that you took it the wrong way. What I meant to say is that anyone can take a guess at the author is saying. Of course I read through all the answers, including yours and came up with one explanation that to me seems logical.

05:41 Jun 20, 2013 

It is pretty certain now that there is in fact a word missing in the original. However, I think you need to be careful before describing suggested answers as guesses. Suggestions are supported by explanations as to how each answer has been reached, particularly regarding which elements have been taken into account. I considered that there was nothing missing (although now can but agree that is not the case). My suggestion is based on a reading of "se faire" which exists and which is possible. Cf. Any goof dictionary "se faire". It is not based on a literal reading, nor on implied meaning. Others, at the time when it was not considered there was anything missing, were not guessing either, but read into the sentence an implied meaning of recognition or acceptance. We did not agree on the reading, but that is what KudoZ is for!
As it turns out, there is indeed a word missing and one which is in line with suggestions put forward.

Care needs to be taken before affirming that answers appear and sound like guesses.

01:08 Jun 20, 2013 

Agree with Victoria Britten.
It is a reflexive verb, with part of it missing.
All the given answers appear and sound like guesses.

15:22 Jun 19, 2013 

Looks like there's a word missing in my text! Let me check back whether it's deliberate - seems more likely to be an error.

Thanks Alison.

14:47 Jun 19, 2013 

Thank you Alison... this time, the sentence is grammatically correct.

14:37 Jun 19, 2013 

Have you seen the following remarkably similar quote?
Rappelons l'épreuve traditionnelle par laquelle le jeune homme né illégitime se fait reconnaître par son père et par les siens; n'oublions pas l'image d'un Thésée grand monarque, du roi bienfaisant qui succède au fringant prince héritier;
http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=jMDBUaLBKcnL0AWZyoGgCg&id...

13:33 Jun 19, 2013 

The full original sentence is "Rappelons l'épreuve traditionnelle par laquelle le jeune homme né illégitime se fait par son père et par les siens."

Of course, "reconnaître", "accepter" etc could be added but any ellipsis is the author's, not mine. There's nothing missing between "fait" and "par".

13:06 Jun 19, 2013 

I agree with Victoria... I do not understand "SE fait ???PAR son père...."
Obviously, there is something missing

12:47 Jun 19, 2013 

After "se faire": "reconnaître", "accepter"... Those are indeed the most probable notions, to my mind, but why the ellipsis? I stumbled when I read it - surely I'm not the only one?