In Pinker's article he discusses the difference between perscriptivist gammatical rules and descriptivist rules. Most of what he is discussing is that the perscriptivist rules on grammar are antiquated and mostly based on Latin rules. Like never splitting an infinitive. He explains that you can't split an infinitive in Latin, as he points out here:
"Julius Caesar could not have split an infinitive if he had wanted to. In Latin the infinitive is a single word like [facere], a syntactic atom. But in English, which prefers to build sentences around many simple words instead of a few complicated ones, the infinitive is composed of two words. Words, by definition, are rearrangeable units, and there is no conceivable reason why an adverb should not come between them"
He also points out the common mistake that most people make (and one we have discussed in class) about poeple using phrases like "between you and I" instead of the correct "between you and me."
I do agree with him when he says that something must be done. Becuase with the increasing number of perversions that the language is facing, it will not take long before everyone is back to speaking in monosyllabic caveman grunts and gesticulating to get their point across.
10 comments:
I missed the part where he said that "something must be done" to avoid the "increasing number of perversions that the language is facing."
Where did he say that?
Do you think that saying we could revert to caveman grunts is a little harsh? I mean, people have been speaking for quite a long time, and the grammar has just evolved with trends. I think that will probably just keep happening.
rather than reverting to grunts, i have wondered if it will simply seem like a different language all together after a while.
Yeah, cavaman grunts might be a little harsh. And it might change into a new language as well. But think about the evolution of the phrase "sup". First it was "what's up?" Then the "s" didn't need to be there so it because "what up?" Then the "t" was too hard to pronounce so we swapped it with the "s" and it because "whasup?". Then we decided that the "Wha" didn't really need to be there so it became "sup?" What's next?? Just plain "P"? lol.
In your humble assesment, what is the most important thing that should be done to clean up our language?
What I find interesting about this is that we all seem to think SWE is all or nothing. We talk to each other in many many ways, and slide in and out of dialects over and over again, creating formality if the situation demands it, informality if it's acceptable, and yet we fear that our language is going to become bastardized in some way. Basically, I see the English language as a changing developing thing. Sure we need to teach kids to spell correctly to be able to make their points in the right voice, but, really, caveman grunts?
Haha I agree. Something needs to be done. And as much as I use it, I think the internet,IMing, and texting are like an epidemic. I'm also sick of seeing people walkig around campus with cell phones practically glued to their heads. It's insulting I think to be aroud people who'd much rather be speaking to someone else. It's like implying someone's voice is better to have a conversationw itht han your actualy presence.
Wow, that was a little off topic. Sorry.
I don't know whether to put modern language in a progressive or degenerative category, but your blog made me ponder such things. Hmm. Interesting.
I think the most important thing that must be done is to stop idolizing pop culture icons. And by that I mostly mean the one's like Dave Chappelle, 'Lil Wayne, and all of the others who help with the destruction of the language (some call it evolution of language, but I don't see it getting better so I say Destruction). They are tremendous artists and good at what they do, but sometimes their reasons are jacked up. Dave Chappelle mainstreamed a word (one that slips my mind at the moment) simply because "white people" didn't know what it meant yet.
But the whole Texting and I.M.ing is an epidemic that is also hurting it. Sadly I doubt that can be fixed.
Yes! I vote death to "texting." If I ever get another message reading "OMG" or "lol" I vow to chunk my phone out the freakin window.
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