[Gllug] plurals

[Daniel Ahrens]

> > English grammar at shool), the rule that dictates 'if I were ....'
> > as opposed to 'I was....' ?
>
> The word "subjunctive" springs to mind ...

>Indeed, this is a subjunctive usage.  However, AFAIK it is (originally) a
>US-ism.


Uuuuh... ooohhh.. I don't think it is that simple. If you listen to East
Enders (East End of London) speak (not the ones on the telly, the real ones)
they regularly employ:

We was...


I were...


Language is a dynamic entity that does not conform well to rules. It's like
music: people invented and played a variety of instruments first and then
invented the rules for them (eg. harmonics, chords etc). It's the same in
any language: grammar rules are formed after the fact and not before. That's
why for me personally trying to tie down one usage of certain words,
sentences etc. has to end in failure, because you cannot halt the march of
history and time.

I will bet a million bucks that a thousand years from now the English that
we speak nowadays (regardless if it's Oxford or Webster, who cares) won't be
spoken then. (That is if we haven't blown ourselves up by then). Personally
I think leaving languages to develop on their own is more reasonable than to
constantly try and interfere with the development process by saying that one
thing is correcter than another (thereby trying to arrest a dynamic
process), when it can't be.

As long as we all know what is meant with eg. 'phunkso brother' why bother
about public school type debates about which grammar or spelling or whatever
is correcter than the next.

Anyway, this geek club should perhaps transfer to a language oriented
discussion list. :) Sorry, had to state the obvious here.

When this discussion first kicked off I was more embarrassed for our female
colleague(s) on this list than how you spell the plural of the darn thang.

Let's kick some ass and grow up, shall we?


therockstunkidz




dan at prankstersproductions.com
************************************
http://www.prankstersproductions.com






-----Original Message-----
From: gllug-admin at linux.co.uk [mailto:gllug-admin at linux.co.uk]On Behalf
Of Pete Ryland
Sent: 19 June 2003 12:26
To: gllug at linux.co.uk
Subject: Re: [Gllug] plurals


On Thu, Jun 19, 2003 at 11:40:49AM +0100, Richard Jones wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 19, 2003 at 11:14:42AM +0100, t.clarke wrote:
> > Most informative and entertaining response !
> > I do like a good diversion from shop talk now and again - hence my
> > 'provocative' post !!
> >
> >
> > No small wonder that the subtleties of the English language are diffcult
to
> > master  - the basic rules largely seem to be 'there are no rules' :-)
> >
> > To diversify yet again, can anyone explain clearly (since we never did
> > English grammar at shool), the rule that dictates 'if I were ....'
> > as opposed to 'I was....' ?
>
> The word "subjunctive" springs to mind ...

Indeed, this is a subjunctive usage.  However, AFAIK it is (originally) a
US-ism.

Pete

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