Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

As a student of philosophy of language I love/hate this debate. I'll say this, I feel badly for people who think the creator gets to control the pronunciation. Hopefully the prescriptivists will learn language evolves irregardless of whether we want it to. Whenever you think you have firm rules, you will find they will change momentarily. Let me know if you spot what I snuck in there.


You snuck in "irregardless" and I claim my $5 reward.

(Maybe you also snuck in "hopefully": http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/hopeful... )


Think there are a few more - "feel badly", "momentarily"


Good eye. Only one more!


No second clause in the "whether"? That's "sneaking out", though.

Also, feh, descriptivists...


It's "snuck" rather than "sneaked." Considered incorrect by many for nearly 50 or so years.


Seriously? "Snuck" is incorrect? That's the first time I hear about this.


It's not though, that's the entire point. All usages except irregardless, which is well on its way, are considered correct, though not so in the past.

Also, snuck is the last accepted irregular verb, rather than pronoun.


Sneaked?


Yep


Please, I expect better than that from HN!


<3 <3

We were just talking about this yesterday with some friends, and they put it nicely as "Language has no master"


Perhaps more accurately put, the "English language has no master."

Many--perhaps most--European languages, do have prescriptivist masters. Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and dozens more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators


Even then, those "masters" only have limited control of the language.


I upvoted this 10 times, even though it counts once. Thank you, scoofy.


You really should have done it 9 or 11 times. :P


I notice you couldn't bring yourself to use the modern oxymoronic definition of "literally"


I should of known its a loosing battle.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: