Archaeologica.org

You should read this, IMO. When you do, mentally compare & contrast the objective of the Language Police among us : eliminating knowledge by eliminating words -- the linguistic containers that hold and transmit it.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2014060 ... -languages

A classic case of “The Greeks had a word for it.”
And why there is a “Classical” and a “Common” Greek.
Common being spoken and Classical being written.

This concept, right or wrong, would make Daniel Webster, the creator of the concept of ”correct” spelling and it’s logical extension of, “if you can’t spell it, isn’t a word,” the greatest villain in the history of the English, or any, language.
And the same moaning of some Greeks over the "currupting" of their languge.

I still suffer under the philosophy of “phonetic spelling” of English I learned in 2nd grade.
English is a languge of "excptions!"
When I read those “Old English” texts I have to read them out loud to get the meaning.
And it seems natural when I do.

What this whole thing ignores is the idea of, if there is a need for it, the “predominate” language will adopt the “local” word for something.
English is a huge adaptor of “borrowed” words.
(Many of witch would put poor Daniel spinning in his grave due to ignoring his “rules of pronunciation.”)
For example, how do you pronounce “Baton Rouge” or “Des Plaines” (The town I grew up in as a WASP)

I don't know how worked up I can get over this issue. It seems as if there are far larger problems in the world than linguistic Darwinism.

Minimalist wrote:I don't know how worked up I can get over this issue. It seems as if there are far larger problems in the world than linguistic Darwinism.

Hear, Hear!

Wrong word. Consequently, wrong idea. Consequently, incomprehension.

The term you're looking for is Bolshevism.

aka "Newspeak" (Orwell).

(It's fo' de Chilluns !)

A classic case of “The Greeks had a word for it.”

The thing is, the Greeks still have a word for it and apparently no one gives a rat's ass if the Hopi do or not.

Neat stuff, Lil.