I saw a tweet of late that actually made me smile:
When I encounter novel people, it’s e'er a flake of a challenge to explicate what I do, generally because I don’t exercise a unmarried job. Once people acquire the full general persuasion though, I uncovering it leads to all kinds of assumptions near what a languagey sort of someone must hold upward interested in.
“Correct” grammar
As someone who spends a lot of fourth dimension researching in addition to writing near grammer norms, yes, non-standard grammer does, inevitably, throttle out at me. I exercise automatically spot misplaced apostrophes, there/their/they’re mix-ups in addition to sentences missing a master copy verb, but they don’t necessarily bring me upward inwards arms. For me, it’s all downwardly to context. If it’s inwards a Facebook post or a quickie email, I actually don’t care. If someone has gone to the problem (and expense) of having something professionally printed without getting it proofread (a menu, a leaflet, a trace of piece of work organisation website), thus yes, it makes me sigh in addition to gyre my eyes.
Etymology
I acknowledge that I dearest words. I uncovering English linguistic communication vocabulary inwards all its wonderful multifariousness fascinating. Am I bothered near the origins of a detail discussion or aspect though? Not especially. Yes, agreement a flake near the roots of English linguistic communication tin hold upward useful, but for me, it’s functional rather than fascinating. I’m much to a greater extent than interested inwards how linguistic communication is used now than where it came from. I bring several unopened books on my shelves near the “stories behind words” bought every bit well-intentioned presents, but forthwith collecting dust.
Trendy coinages
When I say people I piece of work inwards dictionaries, i of the mutual reactions is: “it must hold upward all near finding novel words”. Unsurprising perhaps, seeing every bit the solely fourth dimension dictionaries appear to hold upward inwards the intelligence is when they denote their “word of the year”: staycation or post-truth or sharenting. And yes, they’re fun, I bask a novel coinage much every bit the side yesteryear side person, but they’re rattling much the fluffy, soundbite cease of lexicography. As someone working inwards ELT, I’m much to a greater extent than involved inwards trying to explicate the frequent, in addition to yeah fifty-fifty boring, everyday linguistic communication that the average learner needs to master. Which, yesteryear the way, tin hold upward far to a greater extent than interesting in addition to challenging.
The turn down of English
At the same fourth dimension every bit existence excited yesteryear novel coinages, people every bit good await me to hold upward outraged yesteryear the apparent turn down of the English linguistic communication language. I should hold upward vehemently against verbing in addition to appalled yesteryear the Americanization of English. I’m not. Language modify happens, it e'er has (see etymology above). Of course, at that topographic point are around changes that I personally covert to a greater extent than than others, but quest whether I’m for or against linguistic communication modify seems a fairly nonsensical inquiry to me. There isn’t around malign strength out at that topographic point forcing changes on us, it’s how nosotros collectively remove to usage our linguistic communication that influences the administration of change.
I could acquire on (my spelling is rubbish, I’m non a literary type, I’ve never watched Countdown …), but I gauge my existent message is: I dearest linguistic communication inwards my ain ways.
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