He's not full of shit, actually. He's pretty progressive on language change. He used who/whom as an example of word-shortening as the natural evolution of language. I just happen to think it was a bad example. Though, when I pressed the issue, I was the *only* person in the class that raised my hand as knowing/using the difference.
It is falling out of common usage rather quickly, and although most Buffistas I know use it, the majority of educated people I know don't.
I use it when feeling like dressing up my language in formal wear, but my spoken tongue is pretty well business casual. Of course, I'm also a descriptivist rebel who merrily splits infinitives and ends sentences with prepositions and spits in the face of the Latinate rules shoved willy-nilly onto a Germanic language by stick in the mud twerps with some sort of mental hard-on for a dead tongue.
Not that I have strong opinions on the matter.
I use it when feeling like dressing up my language in formal wear, but my spoken tongue is pretty well business casual. Of course, I'm also a descriptivist rebel who merrily splits infinitives and ends sentences with prepositions and spits in the face of the Latinate rules shoved willy-nilly onto a Germanic language by stick in the mud twerps with some sort of mental hard-on for a dead tongue.
Not that I have strong opinions on the matter.
Heh. This class has made me go, "Wow. That explains A LOT!" many times a day. The Latinate is just the craziest. Also, the "beautifying" of the language of the Bible for King James. They don't tell you that in Fundamentalist churches!
It is falling out of common usage rather quickly
That, I agree with. And clearly,
and ends sentences with prepositions
I do that, too.
I'm all good with change and progress, I would just like it to match exactly (hey, look! I split infinitives, too. ETA: Oh, wait, no I didn't. Carry on.) what I think should and shouldn't change and progress. Is that so, so, very wrong?
Also, the "beautifying" of the language of the Bible for King James. They don't tell you that in Fundamentalist churches!
Butbutbutbut! It wasn't for pretty! It was the seventh purification of the seventh translation of the somethingawhatsit! That proves numerologically that it was the real reinspired word in spite of being a translation of a translation of a translation! Or something!
(also, you can see Russia.)
Of course, I'm also a descriptivist rebel who merrily splits infinitives and ends sentences with prepositions and spits in the face of the Latinate rules shoved willy-nilly onto a Germanic language by stick in the mud twerps with some sort of mental hard-on for a dead tongue.
hi-fives Plei
What she said. I mean, I kinda-sorta know all the "proper" rules, but there are times that I'm amazed I've tricked someone into hiring me as an editor.
One can argue that splitting the infinitive was never specifically wrong in English. When grammar books were finally written, they were based on Latin grammar. In Latin, of course, you can't split an infinitive.
t /pedant
Like that ever closes
One can argue that splitting the infinitive was never specifically wrong in English
And one does. Daily. But
do they listen???!!!!?!
Ok...so, 8 months, 12 days, 10 hours, and 50 minutes till I graduate. You will all be so thrilled, I know.
In the meantime, another schoolish thought.
Is Adeline of Ann Radcliffe's The Romance of the Forest like the original Mary Sue, or what?
That's why I freelance.
Have a drink.
somehow, I took a glance at that and my mind translated it into "that's why I drink"
Plus, I thought we Buffistae were supposed to move in together on the second visit.
Worked out well for me...
