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Does English need a regulatory body?

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Kinkajou I'm Only Sleeping Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Hiding
I'm Only Sleeping
#1: Jan 20th 2011 at 2:43:09 AM

[1]

So, tropers, does it need one?

INT is knowing a tomato is a fruit. WIS is knowing it doesn't belong in a fruit salad. CHA is convincing people that it does.
Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
BlackWolfe Viewer Gender Confusion? from Lost in Austin Since: Jun, 2010
#4: Jan 20th 2011 at 4:05:01 AM

I thought the link was going to be to an article about someone trying to start one. No. There are too many dialects to regulate effectively, it would have to have been started centuries ago, and it's a bad idea. No. Just... No.

But soft! What rock through yonder window breaks? It is a brick! And Juliet is out cold.
Pentadragon Since: Jan, 2001
#5: Jan 20th 2011 at 4:08:22 AM

This seems like an incredibly pointless concept to me.

edited 20th Jan '11 4:08:40 AM by Pentadragon

pagad Sneering Imperialist from perfidious Albion Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Sneering Imperialist
#6: Jan 20th 2011 at 4:47:14 AM

It would be a bloody nightmare. No.

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.
Filby Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:00:01 AM

No. Language is a growing, changing thing, and to deny that is folly.

Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#8: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:32:06 AM

Who the hell actually listens to language regulators, anyway?

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
BlackWolfe Viewer Gender Confusion? from Lost in Austin Since: Jun, 2010
#9: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:38:07 AM

I've heard there's only one pun in French, but that's just something I've heard.

It's Quel fromage instead of Quel dormage.

But soft! What rock through yonder window breaks? It is a brick! And Juliet is out cold.
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#12: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:05:46 AM

Need? It would kill the language. The primary advantage of English as a language is it's extreme flexibility and ability to absorb words and grammer from other sources.

Anyway, English is the reason why those other language require regulators in the first place, it's largely to protect those languages from corruption by English terms and usage. English is so powerful, it threatens the integrity of other languages. If some other language came along and displaced English as the global lingua franca, then yeah, it might need that sort of protection.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#13: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:06:32 AM

NO.

Regulatory bodies wreck langauges.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Meeble likes the cheeses. from the ruins of Granseal Since: Aug, 2009
likes the cheeses.
#14: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:29:34 AM

Outside of academia, do people even take language regulation seriously?

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Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#15: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:36:43 AM

Gonna have to ask our fellow Europeans.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Filby Since: Jan, 2001
#16: Jan 20th 2011 at 7:55:18 AM

Do any languages besides French have regulatory bodies?

Ultrayellow Unchanging Avatar. Since: Dec, 2010
Unchanging Avatar.
#17: Jan 20th 2011 at 8:54:14 AM

NO.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.
silver2195 Since: Jan, 2001
#18: Jan 20th 2011 at 9:01:17 AM

[up][up]Yes. See the Wikipedia page linked to earlier.

Currently taking a break from the site. See my user page for more information.
TheJackal Lurker from the UK Since: Dec, 2009
Lurker
#19: Jan 20th 2011 at 10:09:22 AM

No. And even if they did set one up, I can't see it lasting very long anyway. There are already far too many regional variations for a regulator to be able to decide on one specific version.

Catfish42 Bloody Fossil from world´s favourite country. Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Bloody Fossil
#20: Jan 20th 2011 at 11:45:23 AM

Nope.

The conflict between British and American spelling alone would get it bogged down forever.

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Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#21: Jan 20th 2011 at 11:56:41 AM

I'm thinking the only language that should be regulated is Latin, and that's because we use it where we do precisely because it doesn't change anymore.

RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#22: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:19:30 PM

[[qoteblock]]I've heard there's only one pun in French, but that's just something I've heard.[[/quoteblock]]

And Asterix, did you hear about it? Just lettin you know, the French language has waaaaaay more puns than English. Why? Homophony. Lots and lots of it.

And the Academy regulates what can and can't be done by the media and the government mostly. It is actually more liberal and progressive than most users, who prefer to stick to old-fashioned rules.

Also, English is not a potent language intrinsically, I's simply used by powerful countries. Just like French used to be.

[up]Don't be fooled, la[up]tin has changed a lot throughout the centuries, You can't choose the latin of one era and tick to it. Same for Arabic.

edited 20th Jan '11 12:21:11 PM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#23: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:22:43 PM

Also, we don't really need Latin grammar for scientific naming, and Latin scientific names are more-or-less opaque anyway, so it wouldn't much matter.

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Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#24: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:22:47 PM

Fair enough, I guess even supposedly dead languages change somewhat. Again though, we picked it because it's dead and this is minimized.

RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#25: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:35:34 PM

Latin scientific names are more-or-less silly Canis Latinicus. Biology is an especially bug offender, How many names for egg, embryo, stem, etc. turn out to mean "little egg" or "little seed"?

Modern sciences (computer science and quantum especially) use Gratuitous English instead. Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Charm, Strange? Spin? Reboot? Root? WTF?

edited 20th Jan '11 12:35:58 PM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?

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