h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was slightly appalled to read in this weekend's papers, that due to the widespread mispelling of 'separate' in GCSE papers, that the spelling 'seperate' may become an official alternative.

Are we relying on semi-illiterate 15-year-olds to shape and mould the English Language? Please discuss, no more than 1500 words (more paper available on request)

B

I had a conversation about this very word at the weekend - Blues Shark and I decided that it looks wrong, no matter how it is spelt.

But no, it shouldn't be changed just because some teenagers can't be bothered to make the effort to spell correctly - or because some teachers can't be bothered to correct spelling mistakes, and make sure they are learnt.

yes, I read that too, with the same appallation/ appalledness/ appallingstuff as wot you did get. (No, English wasn't one of my best subjects....)

but then, I haven't got over the fact that, despite being forced to write out 100 times "it's can only mean it is" its now become acceptable to use its when you mean it's and its very confusing and upseting when its meaning is modified in this way.

But all languages evolve over time. And that's driven by usage, rather than logic.

A very salient point about the evolution of languages, I just wish it wasn't done by people not being able to use the one they've got

trying to read the 'its' bit

B

The English language is too complex for absolutely everybody to be able to master every little nuance of it. So some people start using it in slightly different ways from others. In the old days, this would be the beginning of a new dialect. But in these days of global communications, mistakes like this spread and eventually become accepted. Many of the present-day correct words were originally mistakes. For example, it used to be correct to say "I catched it", but someone made up the word "caught", because it sounded right, even though it wasn't. Gradually the word caught on, and became the standard.

I read a couple of days ago that a number of GCSE students had written their exam papers in phone txt (text). What are teachers doing if their pupils believe that writing an entire exam paper in bizarre abbreviations is acceptable?

Spelling and meaning of words have always been changing, so what's new. I can't spell for peanuts.

The Guild of Wizards

The Guild of Wizards @ U197895 - looking for wiz kids to join, though you don't have to be a wiz kid just know a bit about some subject that you think will be of interest to others or just bore the pants off them. This is an equall opportunities space open to all sexes, ages and abilities)

*spots the irony in that perfectly-spelt post*

I'd be interested to know how it actually gets ratified as a new word. Does someone at the OED just wake up and say 'Oh, no-one can spell it anyway, we might as well bung it in'

B

In theory, the OED is a purely descriptive... 'institution' is probably the best word As such, a word will get in when enough of the people involved consider a word/usage/spelling to be accepted in the community. Generally (and particularly historically) this is done by scouring newspapers, journals, etc. to find out just how widespread the debated usage is, or in the case of 'seperate/separate' what the breakdown of usage is in various contexts.

Of course, in a practical sense the OED is run by people, and people always have their own agendas, hang-ups, favourite expressions, etc. so what actually gets put in will have much to do with whether those in charge think that the 'new' usage is acceptable to themselves. Of course, the vast majority of people aren't in the habit of reading dictionaries or subscribing to errata updates so eventually they just have to go along with what people actually use

I would have thought even more common than spelling separate incorrectly would be the word definitely which is 99% of the time spelt incorrectly as definately.
Perhaps this should be changed too ? Or accepting there for their and of for have - all my favourites. I wouldn't be able to moan then.

of for have should never be accepted

definitely is generally spelt wrong, although I'm sure 99% is a bit of an exaggeration (it's only 33% in this thread ). Any more suggestions?

B

Ambluance instead of ambulance?
I arks you!

"Alright' for "All right" gets my goat. The question is how does a teacher/marker recognise a genuine error from a personalised respelling.

Having written that, it must be accepted that language is living and evolving, as French people will no doubt confirm, much to their own chagrin (now there is an irony!).

Now, as homework in England becomes more and more acceptable as an exercise in "cut and paste", English english needs to guard against american spellings as much as random spellings.

I suggest an entry on the relationship between globalisation, cultural star-spangled golden-arched imperialism and microsoft spell-checkers.

In my experience, ambulance is generally spelt ecnalubma


B

Actually, /aks/ is the historically/etymologically 'correct' pronunciation of that particular word - it got mispronounced as /ask/ and the spelling changed to reflect that fact. Sorry

gonna just ave t tek yer werd fi dat

Appalling! You spelt 'just' correctly

B

wups

another of my pet hates is "try and"

as in "I'll try and come round tonight" or "we'll try and see the film"

when it should be "try to"

Only seems to work for first person present tense, though: It doesnt change in other parts of the verb.....

"I'm trying and fix my bike"

"He tried and rob the bank"

"Researchers are trying and campaign for a towel smiley"