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HighPeakFox

Linguistic pedantry

By HighPeakFox, in General Chat

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drumbeat

drumbeat

Posted
Posted

I like this thread too as language use is an interest. I studied linguistics at university but that's embarrassing to admit sometimes as my spelling is atrocious. 

 

I'm not into etymology, phonetics or grammar, and I would never dare offer opinion on correct usage or correct someone's grammar, but I do like to listen to how people use language. It's more of a semantic or sociolinguistic interest I suppose.

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MPH

MPH

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, drumbeat said:

I like this thread too as language use is an interest. I studied linguistics at university but that's embarrassing to admit sometimes as my spelling is atrocious. 

 

I'm not into etymology, phonetics or grammar, and I would never dare offer opinion on correct usage or correct someone's grammar, but I do like to listen to how people use language. It's more of a semantic or sociolinguistic interest I suppose.


 

there was a song released in the 40s with the famous line “ is you is or is you ain’t my baby”

 

now that took forever to write as I’m dyslexic  but  even I cringe every time I see that line lol 

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davieG

davieG

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

While we're on the subject, people that end statements with a question mark. What is that - afraid to commit fearing they might offend?

I've done that when I've written a statement I'm not sure about as in what do you think of this. I guess it's just being lazy 

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Milo

Milo

Posted
Posted

Actually, I get annoyed by misuse of language as much as I get pleasure out of it, and see the huge benefits of complete manglification of how we communicate. 

If it’s wrong but it’s understood, is it really wrong?

 

Progression and evolution is a good thing, methinks.  

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HighPeakFox

HighPeakFox

Posted
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Posted
2 minutes ago, Milo said:

Actually, I get annoyed by misuse of language as much as I get pleasure out of it, and see the huge benefits of complete manglification of how we communicate. 

If it’s wrong but it’s understood, is it really wrong?

 

Progression and evolution is a good thing, methinks.  

I agree about progression and evolution, but a repeated error because it's what everyone else says isn't evolution, it's just a corroborated ignorance.

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Milo

Milo

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

I'm all ears.

Hmm - seems like I might have made that up. Just Googled it and there is something called an interrogative sentence…but as far as I can see it just seems to be a question. 
 

🤷‍♂️ 

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Milo

Milo

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

I agree about progression and evolution, but a repeated error because it's what everyone else says isn't evolution, it's just a corroborated ignorance.

But we use, for example, Americanisms on a daily basis. 


Many are not grammatically correct to us, but have been absorbed (due to exposure and repetition) into our language and therefore evolve our native language. 

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HighPeakFox

HighPeakFox

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12 minutes ago, Milo said:

But we use, for example, Americanisms on a daily basis. 


Many are not grammatically correct to us, but have been absorbed (due to exposure and repetition) into our language and therefore evolve our native language. 

Maybe so - but (for example) saying literally over and over until the meaning changes isn't evolution, it's just a change born of ignorance.

 

I was about to divert exponentially, I think I'll pass.

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Milo

Milo

Posted
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8 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Maybe so - but (for example) saying literally over and over until the meaning changes isn't evolution, it's just a change born of ignorance.

 

I was about to divert exponentially, I think I'll pass.

Not sure you brackets trump my commas.

 

But I could be wrong. 

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drumbeat

drumbeat

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Milo said:

If it’s wrong but it’s understood, is it really wrong?

That's a very good question. I suspect the answer depends on who you ask.

 

Me, I kind of go with the 'on balance, all is good if you are understood' line of thinking but I do acknowledge that not all mistakes will be comprehensible to everyone.  

 

Begs the question, do we really understand each other all of the time? Or just think we do?

 

I'll share some thoughts with you all on that one, maybe, perhaps.

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Buce

Buce

Posted
Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, HighPeakFox said:

While we're on the subject, people that end statements with a question mark. What is that - afraid to commit fearing they might offend?

 

8 hours ago, Milo said:

But surely a statement can also be a question, no? 

 

Just in case the nerd in you is equal to mine:

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/question-grammar-1691710

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-interrogative-sentence-1691183

Edited by Buce
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Milo

Milo

Posted
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19 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

 

Just in case the nerd in you is equal to mine:

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/question-grammar-1691710

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-interrogative-sentence-1691183

Barely understood most of the first link, tbh :D

 

But the second one makes sense. In my head, an interrogative sentence was an interrogative statement…I clearly mixed the word (and meaning) up. 

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