[geeks] New Tech Schools: Digital Harbor in Baltimore

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Mike Meredith <very at zonky.org>
" 
" On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:40:20 -0400 (EDT), Sandwich Maker wrote:
" > a lot of the horseplay over english grammar stems from the idea that
" > it should be more like latin [norman french?], whereas it in fact has
" > a much stronger germanic foundation.  split infinitives is one area.
" 
" I was going to mention that but thought I was in danger of getting
" dangerously long-winded :) I think the attempt to use latin
" grammer to codify English grammar was a 19thC effort (perhaps 18thC).
" Probably the most interesting effect of which were the number of
" interesting academic arguments that it caused.

i would think 18th or earlier; anyone who seriously studied
linguistics would quickly realize the silliness of trying to force
english to be something it wasn't, but iirc linguistics didn't really
get started until the 18th.

some of the odder english spellings come from attempts to 'regularize'
words from widely disparate origins.

" > in line with this, recall all the flack mark twain got for writing
" > 'huck finn' in dialect.
" 
" I don't recall that.

it was generally along the lines of 'that awful man is -ruining-
english!'

" But certainly I'm aware of the general hostility
" that authors who attempt dialect works are received with. Somewhat
" similar to the reception British English films and books are sometimes
" given in the US :)

and, ironically, brits who decry american slang while lacing their
speech with words the doughboys left behind.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought