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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Polls ? Votes ? Suffrage ? On this I am with Mikhail Bakunin :"Universal suffrage is the counter-revolution !"
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear fluffyhamster,

Quite a jump there, from the personal and specific:

"Studying Latin for years has certainly helped my vocabulary (not so much my grammar) since about 60% of the English language comes from Latin."

To the general:

"Yes, it's a wonder English people can understand much English at all without an education in Latin."

The benefit of having learned Latin as an aid to a better vocabulary in English as opposed to no Latin learning can, perhaps be summed up thus:

"You don't have to be crazy to work here - but it sure helps."

Just substitute "learn Latin" for "crazy" and "have an extensive vocabulary in English" for "work here."

Regards,
John
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now in my dotage I regret that I was not forced as a child to learn Sanskrit and Hindustani in addition to Latin, French and German.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Remember the poor benighted posters who kept writing 'antidotal evidence'? I'd swear on my babooshka's grave that not one of them studied Latin. If they had, their English would not have been so laughably idiotic.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

'Antidotal evidence?' Is that the leftover crumbs of an antibiotic tablet.... or escaped droplets of snake anti-venom injections??

I also like this little phrase, which I see on the boards now and then
".....baited breath.' (as in, waiting for paycheck or something with said).
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, that's a good one too. Both feature on the Pet Peeves thread. Looking back over that thread, a goodly number of annoyances are caused by ignoramuses not knowing how to even form English words of Latin origin, never mind use them correctly.

Latin needs to be brought back! Or else hanging does!
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Teacher in Rome



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 1286

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not so sure that these errors come about because of a lack of Latin. More perhaps because people have heard these phrases, and not having read the correct versions, have approximated the spelling. That might explain "baited breath" (which does sound as if someone is blowing into a stream in the hopes of catching a fish, I grant you!), or "hone in on", or "wreckless driving" or any of the others I see.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

True, not all mistakes are the result of not knowing Latin - never said all of them were, just many. 'Antidotal' comes from someone being poorly-read and not knowing the real word 'anecdotal', which they would have if they were educated, and had studied Latin or Greek. Also, they implicitly reveal their total ignorance of what 'antidote' means, sniff sniff.

Hanging's too good for some offences against English, grrr!
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hanging, transportation to the colonies (in Sasha's case to Siberia) and compulsory Latin. Then all those problems will disappear !
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fluffyhamster



Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So many eggcorns, so little time...

Again, one doesn't need to study Latin to know the difference between anecdote and antidote.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, Fluffy, one doesn't need to. That's not the point. The point is that if the poor unfortunates who do not know the difference had studied Latin, then no matter how thick they are naturally, they'd soon have learnt what's what. True, not all of us are that linguistically challenged to begin with, but that is not the point here.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

scot47 wrote:
Hanging, transportation to the colonies (in Sasha's case to Siberia) and compulsory Latin. Then all those problems will disappear !


Most of the world's problems would disappear. As the great Stalin said: без человека, без проблем.

Words that ring oh so true today when confronted with linguistic crimes...
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fluffyhamster



Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seriously though, perhaps you could spell out quite what your point is, Sasha. Is it that Latin should be compulsory at school?
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Short hair-cuts, a spell in the Army, cold porridge, flogging. All go together with Latin to ensure proper discipline. And perhaps a little respect for language.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry if I was being too subtle there Very Happy
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