Oxford needs to look up the word "slang."

[Burly Brute]

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...nary?GT1=43001


Your thoughts? I am frustrated beyond belief at my generation.

[Father Bill]

Well, Oxford's role isn't to rule on what is and is not in use, merely to give access to it to those who might not know what it means.

I don't like much of the slang, but English IS the fastest evolving language on the planet. More if you like from this old linguist, but that's the basic outline.

[Burly Brute]

Well, Oxford's role isn't to rule on what is and is not in use, merely to give access to it to those who might not know what it means.

I don't like much of the slang, but English IS the fastest evolving language on the planet. More if you like from this old linguist, but that's the basic outline.

But these are just ridiculously absurd slang-terms, and some of them aren't that new. It's just, it's just absurd!

[Father Bill]

But these are just ridiculously absurd slang-terms, and some of them aren't that new. It's just, it's just absurd!

Don't split an artery now!

To the best of my knowledge there are only two languages in the world which have a supervising body: French, and Hebrew. The latter because it wasn't used except as a ceremonial and scriptural language, and when modern Israel was formed they needed new new words for things that had not existted the last time the language had been used, such things as a "fork" a "traffic light" and ... "Scotch whiskey" (yayin saruf - Scotch that is burning). In the case of French something that speakers of other languages don't understand is that culturally the language has a whole different and greater importance to the French than it does to the rest of us, with the potential exception of Arabic which is considered holy in the use of its religious adherents.

That being the case, an important event in around 1992 was that the Academie Francaise published the complete dictionary of the French Language in four volumes. Coincidentally and instructively, Oxford published its Complete English Dictionary... in forty volumes.

English is both a quicker evolving language than others, Oxford also sees its mandate differently: access to all users of English. When, during the second war, a new electronic component was developed that was part transmitter, part resistor, it was quickly dubbed a "transistor." Other languages didn't move as fast. The German word for transistor is "transistor" and in Japanese, I'm told it is "tlansistol". Think about how the word "streak' morphed in and out of meaning from smudge to naked runner, back to smudge.

For its flexibility, I am grateful to English, but finally, to agree with you, I am distressed by those who abuse it.

Old English Teacher
French Speaker
German Dabbler
Hebrew Student
Latin Student

Father Bill

[Burly Brute]

Don't split an artery now!

To the best of my knowledge there are only two languages in the world which have a supervising body: French, and Hebrew. The latter because it wasn't used except as a ceremonial and scriptural language, and when modern Israel was formed they needed new new words for things that had not existted the last time the language had been used, such things as a "fork" a "traffic light" and ... "Scotch whiskey" (yayin saruf - Scotch that is burning). In the case of French something that speakers of other languages don't understand is that culturally the language has a whole different and greater importance to the French than it does to the rest of us, with the potential exception of Arabic which is considered holy in the use of its religious adherents.

That being the case, an important event in around 1992 was that the Academie Francaise published the complete dictionary of the French Language in four volumes. Coincidentally and instructively, Oxford published its Complete English Dictionary... in forty volumes.

English is both a quicker evolving language than others, Oxford also sees its mandate differently: access to all users of English. When, during the second war, a new electronic component was developed that was part transmitter, part resistor, it was quickly dubbed a "transistor." Other languages didn't move as fast. The German word for transistor is "transistor" and in Japanese, I'm told it is "tlansistol". Think about how the word "streak' morphed in and out of meaning from smudge to naked runner, back to smudge.

For its flexibility, I am grateful to English, but finally, to agree with you, I am distressed by those who abuse it.

Old English Teacher
French Speaker
German Dabbler
Hebrew Student
Latin Student

Father Bill

And Koine, right? ;-)

[Father Bill]

And Koine, right? ;-)

Like the song: "Three Koines in the fountain . . . . "

[rtc872]

To the best of my knowledge there are only two languages in the world which have a supervising body: French, and Hebrew.

Not to prove Fr Bill wrong but in fact English is one of the only large languages without a board or supervising body. I know that Dutch does and they are constantly making unwanted changes to the language. The most recent is that young people were saying google as a verb and the board said that it should be googelen which is the same word as "do magic", to the ancients it might seem like magic . Also the "g" was supposed to change from the English g to the Dutch guttural.

Scottish Gaelic also has Bord na Gaidhlig and Irish has Foras na Gaeilge. I am sure the welsh have one.

Here is a list of many.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...age_regulators

My point is, that English is amazing that it doesn't have one but it is probably less changing than the other languages because a single body cannot decree that a change must be made. Words slip in and out of use but ultimately the grammar remains the same and as long as oldies are out there to tell us how it is done we'll get it right... eventually.

[Father Bill]

Excellent information! I was ill informed, and appreciate the "jog"

Not to prove Fr Bill wrong but in fact English is one of the only large languages without a board or supervising body. I know that Dutch does and they are constantly making unwanted changes to the language. The most recent is that young people were saying google as a verb and the board said that it should be googelen which is the same word as "do magic", to the ancients it might seem like magic . Also the "g" was supposed to change from the English g to the Dutch guttural.

Scottish Gaelic also has Bord na Gaidhlig and Irish has Foras na Gaeilge. I am sure the welsh have one.

Here is a list of many.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...age_regulators

My point is, that English is amazing that it doesn't have one but it is probably less changing than the other languages because a single body cannot decree that a change must be made. Words slip in and out of use but ultimately the grammar remains the same and as long as oldies are out there to tell us how it is done we'll get it right... eventually.

[Coinneach]

tbh, you're prolly not an onliner.

I've never really liked the word "woot" myself and happily I've never found an occasion to use it.

[Burly Brute]

tbh, you're prolly not an onliner.

I've never really liked the word "woot" myself and happily I've never found an occasion to use it.

See this is my point! You never needed to like the word "woot" because it was just an expression, and not a literal word! But this what's happening to our language, and it must be stopped! lol


(sadly I am half-joking with my intensity, but that doesnt come across well on the internet...I hope you all don't think I am crazy)