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Does English need a regulatory body?

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RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#26: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:37:31 PM

Even in academia people are scornful of language regulations. I've seen a lot of Latin American professors roll their eyes when a Spaniard corrects their use of Ustedes over Vosotros, as if that wasn't the way many Spanish speaking countries haven't been using their language for over a century.

Consider me another "no". The grammarians who have conniptions over the rise of Ebonics and leetspeak are obnoxious enough as it is.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#27: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:37:33 PM

I think the etymology of boot[strapping] is funny, myself.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#28: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:38:21 PM

Relevant.

Yeah, ultimately scientists are lazy like that [lol] Still, it's something we can lock down, and dead languages at least help.

edited 20th Jan '11 12:38:50 PM by Pykrete

RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#29: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:38:33 PM

Bootstrapping? You mean like Will Turner's dad?

'''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
#30: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:40:21 PM

No, it means pulling yourself out of a swamp by pulling up on your boot's straps. Look up Baron Münchausen.

^^what is this I don't even

edited 20th Jan '11 12:40:56 PM by Tzetze

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#31: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:57:51 PM

That's mechanically impossible.

^Pirates Of The Caribbean s the first time I've ever head the word "bootstraps", and in fact the only instance besides the "pulling oneself from one's own bootstraps" idiom, which always, always puzzled me. That a computer can do this makes even less sense. Even Discworld's booting by Percussive Maintenance makes more sense than this.

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#32: Jan 20th 2011 at 12:59:03 PM

That's mechanically impossible.

Watch Baron Munchausen. He tends to not be discouraged by such petty details.

ViralLamb Since: Jun, 2010
#33: Jan 20th 2011 at 1:11:10 PM

[up][up] It's always confused me as well.

Power corrupts. Knowledge is Power. Study hard. Be evil.
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#34: Jan 20th 2011 at 2:05:12 PM

That's mechanically impossible.

That's the joke.

That a computer can do this makes even less sense.

It's a bit technical. Basically you have a really basic simple process that the machine can run, then that runs a more complicated process, etc.

Also Wikipedia tells me that it wasn't actually a Münchhausen fable, but something like one, so whatever.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#35: Jan 20th 2011 at 2:08:48 PM

a bit technical

You mean it involves more incomprehensible Techno Babble?

'''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
Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#37: Jan 20th 2011 at 2:15:22 PM

No we really don't. We'd just ignore it anyway.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#38: Jan 20th 2011 at 2:16:27 PM

So. Why do spellchekrs not acknoledge such combowords as, say spellchecker, insisting I call it spell-checker?

I think the lack of regulation is what makes english more conservative than other languages, since there is no-on to allow and legitimize new usages, which are then treated like shitty underclass slang by the highbrow elite.

This is why they say TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Vocabulary rather than enhance it.

edited 20th Jan '11 2:16:55 PM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Ultrayellow Unchanging Avatar. Since: Dec, 2010
Unchanging Avatar.
#39: Jan 20th 2011 at 4:07:19 PM

Why would we want a lot of extra words being invented? We have way more than everyone else already. Occasionally there's a need for a new word, but generally it just comes from being lazy.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#40: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:17:31 PM

They aren't Newords, they're Oldwords that are agglutinated into awesome. Seriously, why don't we just have a rule agglutinate stuff, Japanese-style, or Russian-style? We Will Use WikiWords in the Future!

edited 20th Jan '11 5:18:02 PM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
WoolieWool Heading for tomorrow Since: Jan, 2001
Heading for tomorrow
#41: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:19:28 PM

Because English is an isolating language, not an agglutinative one? Smacking words together into huge megawords just runs contrary to the way English works.

edited 20th Jan '11 5:20:05 PM by WoolieWool

Out of Context Theater: Mike K "'Bloody Pussies' cracked me up"
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#42: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:20:51 PM

And agglutination is adding affixes, anyway, not making portmanteaus and compounds.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#43: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:50:56 PM

dude, what-ever, let's just strongbuild the funwords, it's more awesomecool that way.

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#44: Jan 20th 2011 at 5:58:56 PM

I smash words together sometimes because fuck you spellcheck is a word. STOP DOING THAT SPELLCHECK. YOU'RE A WORD WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

I hear German likes super long words. German and I will be good friends.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#45: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:00:24 PM

There is an advanced philosophical term in german which has "boobs" in it somewhere. As in, woman's breasts. Seriously.

'''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
#46: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:01:58 PM

dude, what-ever, let's just strongbuild the funwords, it's more awesomecool that way.

Do you know why We Will Use WikiWords in the Future isn't Truth in Television? Because when you do it intentionally it sounds dumb.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#47: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:03:14 PM

RAMIREZ!

...

Actualy, go along, you were saying?

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#48: Jan 20th 2011 at 6:06:10 PM

Seriously? Yep. Me and German will be pals.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
silver2195 Since: Jan, 2001
#49: Jan 20th 2011 at 7:55:59 PM

I hate the German language for that very reason. By making it too easy to coin new terms without clearly defining them, it enables bad philosophers.

Currently taking a break from the site. See my user page for more information.
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#50: Jan 20th 2011 at 7:56:52 PM

That's not a problem unique to German, and I don't see why German would have it particularly bad.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

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