What happened to English grammer and spelling ?

[Digit]

Many words, like 'Mission Creep' are not only shorter than alternatives but brilliantly clear, and IMO, to be welcomed.
My objections arise with 'Collateral Damage' and other such terms, terms that, far from being brilliantly clear, are designed to hide an ugly truism.

Roy.

 

[Wildman]

Whilst there are many who are word blind, dyslexic or what ever, and others like myself who has a brain that can spell but fingers that cannot as long as we all understand the intent of a post what does it actually matter. If I want my English corrected I'll go to an English class in the mean time I always try to use the correct word in the correct place. As a regular on a forum with many overseas members, I generally find it is us Brits who get it wrong. Sad that.
As to the street/uneducated Black speak I do find that absolutely appalling. Why would a middle class English kid want to sound like an ignorant immigrant it really is stupid innit, aghrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr its got to me.

 

[whiskywill]

Sorry, it's (mostly) a trick. He's a link that debunks it: http://scienceavenger.blogspot.com/2007/12/cambridge-word-scramble-study-its-fake.html

I know it is mostly a trick, and almost certainly nothing to do with Cambridge, but it demonstrates how the human mind can read something which, at first, appears to be gobbledegook. I accept the Science Avenger's explanation is logical but how can you seriously think somebody who spells ought as out is a good reference.

 

[Digit]

but it demonstrates how the human mind can read something which, at first, appears to be gobbledegook

Which same we have been doing for many years. In the States THE is pronounced THER, we use THER and THEE for the same spelling, depending on context, the reason we have have the two alternatives is The Great Vowel shift.
For some reason a massive change took place in the manner in which the current language was pronounced, and/or spelt, or should that be spelled?
The YE spelling was actually pronounced as THEE.

I found this....

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... Qw&cad=rja

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Roy,

Don't get me started on 'The' and 'Thee'.
Ben Fogle drives me crazy with his mixing up of the definite article. I ask you! Thuh engine instead of 'Thee' engine. Thus forcing him to 'harden' the 'e' of engine. And so on!

And so many presenters on the Beeb, don't seem to know that the word 'aitch' is NOT pronounced 'Haitch! (Dominic Littlewood and Rav Wilding to name but two.) It's not so much that it's wrong. It just sounds ridiculous! As bad as James Martin trying to be posh when he pronounces 'pudding', as you would properly pronounce 'butter'! Arrrghhh! :roll:

 

[Digit]

It's a puzzle to me how the mis pronounced 'Aitch' ever arose. There good reasons for many peculiarities in our language, but that one escapes me.

Attemps by L'Académie Française to maintain the purity of their language has also been attempted by the Icelandic Government. The result is, of course, a language frozen in time, the Japanese have also made some attempts to prevent the incursions of Anglo Saxon into their language, but modern communications will render their efforts redundant. All three attempted to find alternatives to 'Television,' and gave up. And television isn't actually Anglo Saxon anyway!

Roy.

 

[blurk99]

try this on ebay - search for 'chester draws' in furniture....

jim

 

[Digit]

Blimey, I thought Chester had died years ago!

Roy.

 

[Jacob]

......
The YE spelling was actually pronounced as THEE......

How do you know?
Yes it is said that the Y was just shorthand for TH but on the other hand YE is still in use in slang but spelled YER.

 

[Digit]

How do you know?

The same way I know that Henry 8 preceeded Liz 1.

Roy.

 

[Jacob]

Re: What happened to English grammer and spelling ?
Gone to the dogs!
It's spelled "grammar" BTW.

 

[Modernist]

Re: What happened to English grammer and spelling ?
Gone to the dogs!
It's spelled "grammar" BTW.

Although pre 1985 it would have been spelt "grammar"

Such is the drift to the West

 

[Benchwayze]

Always been 'grammar' to me... Hence the old chestnut joke about gram'mah (Grand Mah!)

 

[Jacob]

Re: What happened to English grammer and spelling ?
Gone to the dogs!
It's spelled "grammar" BTW.

Although pre 1985 it would have been spelt "grammar"

Such is the drift to the West

Did wonder. It is "spelled", it was "spelt"?

 

[Digit]

I hadn't noticed the change!

Roy.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, spelt is a type of cereal grain. (sorry i'm in my irritating mode)

 

[Digit]

It is indeed, it is also the past tense of spell

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spelt

like grain! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Used to have loads of 'spent' grains after a brew-up of Best Bitter! ccasion5: