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jinks
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Location: Formerly: Lower North Island
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 Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 2:55 am Post subject: |
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| SirFink wrote: |
| jinks wrote: |
| How about the DICTIONARY? |
A dictionary is not a set of rules about the proper way to use a language. Rather, it is put together by a group of editors who act as reporters or anthropologists, essentially, who simply catalog the most popular usage of the language. Thus, we have American Dictionaries, British Dictionaries, etc. Thus, you find words like "irregardless" in a dictionary. Why? Because many people use it and the compilers of a dictionary are merely reporting on its usage.
That said, "you are" still equals "you're."  |
Yes, I agree. A dictionary describes usage, rather than than list sets of rules, but a dictionary is usually the final arbiter in a spelling enquiry and even if the dictionary offers more than one acceptable spelling or usage (alternate and alternative, for example), non-standard usages will be noted as such. Incorrect usages will not be included at all.
Dictionaries are not just catalogues of popular usage, they are also a historical record of language etymology and development. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:05 am Post subject: |
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| jinks wrote: |
| SirFink wrote: |
| jinks wrote: |
| How about the DICTIONARY? |
A dictionary is not a set of rules about the proper way to use a language. Rather, it is put together by a group of editors who act as reporters or anthropologists, essentially, who simply catalog the most popular usage of the language. Thus, we have American Dictionaries, British Dictionaries, etc. Thus, you find words like "irregardless" in a dictionary. Why? Because many people use it and the compilers of a dictionary are merely reporting on its usage.
That said, "you are" still equals "you're." |
Yes, I agree. A dictionary describes usage, rather than than list sets of rules, but a dictionary is usually the final arbiter in a spelling enquiry and even if the dictionary offers more than one acceptable spelling or usage (alternate and alternative, for example), non-standard usages will be noted as such. Incorrect usages will not be included at all.
Dictionaries are not just catalogues of popular usage, they are also a historical record of language etymology and development. |
And they are the final, god like end to all scrabble arguments  |
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