An interesting note is that many descriptivists argue that the only people qualified to do description are those for whom the language is not native and are therefore not bound by a lifetime of usage of one particular form.
My apologies to any linguists, who will no doubt be as appalled by my non-specialist interpretation as I would be by their interpretations of molecular orbital theory.
My apologies to any linguists, who will no doubt be as appalled by my non-specialist interpretation as I would be by their interpretations of molecular orbital theory.
So dictionaries are best written by people who miss or misunderstand subtle nuances of the language?
One of the nice things about English (I'm not sure to what extent other languages have the same feature) is that because it comes from several roots it has lots of near-synonyms which can be used to convey small variations in meaning. If I want to sound sophisticated I can use Latin or Greek-origin words; if I want to sound down-to-earth I can use Anglo-Saxon (although many of them are now regarded as vulgar). If I want to sound 'young' I can even use American or Australian idioms.
One of the nice things about English (I'm not sure to what extent other languages have the same feature) is that because it comes from several roots it has lots of near-synonyms which can be used to convey small variations in meaning. If I want to sound sophisticated I can use Latin or Greek-origin words; if I want to sound down-to-earth I can use Anglo-Saxon (although many of them are now regarded as vulgar). If I want to sound 'young' I can even use American or Australian idioms.
In the mentalist perspective, yes. Not so much that they can "miss or misunderstand," but rather that they can research and describe without the unconscious shackles of competence (in the linguistic sense, not the colloquial meaning). My own understanding of this is third hand, since (ironically) the fundamental text outlining this point of view is in a language that I cannot read.
WebCite query result
I use to walk right past one every day on my way to work. Hint: I lived in Paris at the time and crossed the river on a footbridge the way to work.
French has some of the too, but not to the extent that English does (I believe).
Do Korean and Japanese have Chinese loan words (or origins) that imply something about the speaker?
My immediate "off the top of the head" knee-jerk was the Rosetta Stone......thousands of miles distant I'm sure.
Paris ??? No doubt I am as not as enlightened such as yourself, a resident of the city of lights. Stay long in some Ivory Towers???........Really?, Paris?
I'm talking Gutenberg common, perhaps a library? Forgive me my Neanderthal ways.
_______________________________________________________Rick.........
I'm not sure I follow that analogy, but being male certainly did not impede me from doing research in estrogens. I don't think it helped, either, fwiw, since I used my hands and brains for the work, not my... errr.... uhhh....
(Pont des Arts)
For years on end, there was a newspaper suit street performer near Beaubourg, he did wonderful tricks with words on/and paper.
Imo, English is the most vulgar of languages, main reason it's become so widespread and in movement ever more.
The French language will, sooner than you think, go the way of Latin, seldom used.
Don't worry, the French will always be well known for its' wines, (because the water was so contaminated) and perfumes (because no one dared bathe, so they had to cover-up the stench).
Gotta love those French!
You don't see anyone getting so worked up about twenty year old beef jerky, or salt Pork?
_____________________________________________________Rick.........
Don't worry, the French will always be well known for its' wines, (because the water was so contaminated) and perfumes (because no one dared bathe, so they had to cover-up the stench).
Gotta love those French!
You don't see anyone getting so worked up about twenty year old beef jerky, or salt Pork?
_____________________________________________________Rick.........
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Sooner than I think? I doubt French will disappear for another few centuries. Esperanto, maybe. 
I was referring to the Acadamie Francaise, an institute that has no equivalent in the Anglophone world. The Academie declares what is French and what isn't, registers new words (E.G. Audiophile) and comes up with French versions of English words that are promptly ignored by the general public.
Lexicographers don't do that, they simply document. If the general public looks to them as a legitimizing authority, that is not the fault of the lexicographers. Perhaps the general public feels a need for a language authority? France has one, but it is often ridiculed.
Jacco, oui, le Pont des Arts. Or la Passerelle des Art, as the locals call it. (foot traffic only). Also a wonderful place for making out. The lover's bridge.
I was referring to the Acadamie Francaise, an institute that has no equivalent in the Anglophone world. The Academie declares what is French and what isn't, registers new words (E.G. Audiophile) and comes up with French versions of English words that are promptly ignored by the general public.
Lexicographers don't do that, they simply document. If the general public looks to them as a legitimizing authority, that is not the fault of the lexicographers. Perhaps the general public feels a need for a language authority? France has one, but it is often ridiculed.
Jacco, oui, le Pont des Arts. Or la Passerelle des Art, as the locals call it. (foot traffic only). Also a wonderful place for making out. The lover's bridge.
Language is necessarily an adaptable tool, not a static artifice to be locked down. Go back and read Chaucer for an idea of the tremendous drift that occurs over 600+ years. It seems obvious that the rate of change of language would reflect the breadth, depth and interconnectedness of the pool of users. Twenty hunter gatherers geographically isolated might have a relatively static lexicon. In the current context epitomized by this forum, where many millions exchange ideas daily without the old delays for travel or post, the evolution of language will be fast indeed.
It seems the French have an institution that has the French Language firmly secured with a Garrote. Like sand thru a clenched fist. This attitude will surely kill the language & secure the French cultures demise.
_______________________________________________Rick.........................
_______________________________________________Rick.........................
German speaking peoples have this:
Council for German Orthography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And the portuguese speaking folks had that:
Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although these only determine the officially correct way of spelling, not the actual meanings of words.
Council for German Orthography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And the portuguese speaking folks had that:
Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although these only determine the officially correct way of spelling, not the actual meanings of words.
Vintage wire.
So it seems we haven't seen the end of this, it just goes on & on.
As you all have no doubt seen this one, Vintage Western Electric cables.
OK, so does this mean these cables are well "burned in" or if it is NOS, does it need little burn-in...................no, wait. Since it is 50 year-old cables it needs 15 years of burn-in?
Some keen entrepreneur well aware of the "name brand" cable snake-oil ideas, comes across a 500 ft dusty old reel of wire, the name Western Electric stenciled on the side of the broken wood reel..........he saw dollar signs exploding in his head. Fifty dollars a Meter he thought!...it is after all Western Electric........I'll be rich! Now, how to I spin this?
__________________________________________________Rick............
So it seems we haven't seen the end of this, it just goes on & on.
As you all have no doubt seen this one, Vintage Western Electric cables.
OK, so does this mean these cables are well "burned in" or if it is NOS, does it need little burn-in...................no, wait. Since it is 50 year-old cables it needs 15 years of burn-in?
Some keen entrepreneur well aware of the "name brand" cable snake-oil ideas, comes across a 500 ft dusty old reel of wire, the name Western Electric stenciled on the side of the broken wood reel..........he saw dollar signs exploding in his head. Fifty dollars a Meter he thought!...it is after all Western Electric........I'll be rich! Now, how to I spin this?
__________________________________________________Rick............
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