The unimportant news thread

Started by Lethevich, March 05, 2008, 07:14:50 AM

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J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Lethe on August 07, 2008, 09:29:06 AM
Hehe, this could only happen in Britain. My generation in particular (which I sadly represent well) has an extremely poor understanding of the formal aspects of the language. English language classes are inadequate and the teachers don't care whether children do well or not, as the grade doesn't hold much weight anyway.

This "solution" is ridiculous. It isn't just concerning spelling - memorising new words and their spellings keep the brain stimulated, it is an example of how education begets education. To say that this part is no longer important brings into question whether education in general is worthwhile. I believe this is called a slippery slope... :P

No - the thin end of the wedge (at the end of the day).  :P
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato


M forever

Quote from: Lethe on August 07, 2008, 09:29:06 AM
Hehe, this could only happen in Britain. My generation in particular (which I sadly represent well) has an extremely poor understanding of the formal aspects of the language. English language classes are inadequate and the teachers don't care whether children do well or not, as the grade doesn't hold much weight anyway.

Apparently - demonstrated by the fact that you didn't understand what the article is actually about.

Lethevich

Quote from: M forever on August 08, 2008, 04:57:01 PM
Apparently

I guess I had that covered with the bracketed part of my second sentence...
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

M forever

You did indeed. The articles doesn't say that random speling should be allowed or even encouraged, it just says that some very common words should be allowed alternative or revised spellings based on the fact that they reflect widespread usage. That actually makes sense, especially for a language whose speliing is so completely outdated as English. Language changes all the time. It's not like the current spelling of English is the "original" and therefore "correct" one. Updating spelling rules can be very difficult and backfire, create confusion and really silly revisions - as we have seen with the German spelling reform - but while the way a language is written down should be standardized for the sake of quality of communication, the written language should not artificially conserve for the sake of conserving; it should be allowed to change with the spoken language it represents.

Lethevich

Quote from: M forever on August 08, 2008, 06:03:40 PM
You did indeed. The articles doesn't say that random speling should be allowed or even encouraged, it just says that some very common words should be allowed alternative or revised spellings based on the fact that they reflect widespread usage. That actually makes sense, especially for a language whose speliing is so completely outdated as English. Language changes all the time. It's not like the current spelling of English is the "original" and therefore "correct" one. Updating spelling rules can be very difficult and backfire, create confusion and really silly revisions - as we have seen with the German spelling reform - but while the way a language is written down should be standardized for the sake of quality of communication, the written language should not artificially conserve for the sake of conserving; it should be allowed to change with the spoken language it represents.

The issue I have with this is that few will be largely satisfied with which words are changed or not, and people will always misspell things - they will misspell new words too, and if continually "corrected" the language will become even more irrational than it currently is (which for English is saying something). Considering how various different English speaking regions pronounce the language, revising it to intuitively spell in the way it is spoken or thought would involve unideal compromises... IMO there is a difference between changing "musick to "music" versus "ridiculous" to "rediculous", the latter of which is an enormously common mispelling but (to my limited understanding) contrary to conventions of how English words are built...
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

M forever

Quote from: Lethe on August 08, 2008, 07:16:29 PM
but (to my limited understanding) contrary to conventions of how English words are built...

What do you mean by that?

Lethevich

Quote from: M forever on August 08, 2008, 08:02:27 PM
What do you mean by that?

Re meaning "again", ri meaning... er, something else ;D I am a total newb with these things.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

M forever

Ridiculous comes from the Latin adjectiv ridiculus - laughable - from the verb ridere - to laugh.


greg

Quote from: M forever on August 08, 2008, 06:03:40 PM
You did indeed. The articles doesn't say that random speling should be allowed or even encouraged, it just says that some very common words should be allowed alternative or revised spellings based on the fact that they reflect widespread usage. That actually makes sense, especially for a language whose speliing is so completely outdated as English. Language changes all the time. It's not like the current spelling of English is the "original" and therefore "correct" one. Updating spelling rules can be very difficult and backfire, create confusion and really silly revisions - as we have seen with the German spelling reform - but while the way a language is written down should be standardized for the sake of quality of communication, the written language should not artificially conserve for the sake of conserving; it should be allowed to change with the spoken language it represents.
Didn't I mention something like this and get laughed at....? (although it wasn't you)




pjme

#174
> EMPIRE > UNIFORMES NAPOLEONIENS > GRANDE TENUE DE MARECHAL D'EMPIRE, FRAC, brodée sur toutes les coutures!

"Frac" (cfr. FROCK ): a ceremonial drescoat for men.... ;D...no "k" makes all the difference! But do check wikipedia....


karlhenning

Quote from: GGGGRRREEG on September 02, 2008, 02:48:15 PM
well, I've never heard of "frak"...

. . . highlighting the non-importance of this news!  ;D

karlhenning

Quote from: pjme on September 04, 2008, 12:02:35 PM
> EMPIRE > UNIFORMES NAPOLEONIENS > GRANDE TENUE DE MARECHAL D'EMPIRE, FRAC, brodée sur toutes les coutures!

"Frac" (cfr. FROCK ): a ceremonial drescoat for men....

Hey! I'd wear that!

Kullervo


karlhenning

Quote
Hey! I'd wear that!

While listening to THRAK


pjme

And you would be in good company!