Comments on: Words and Phrases That Annoy Me http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me/ crunchy nuggets, served semi-daily Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:39:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Adam S http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me/#comment-550 Adam S Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:22:17 +0000 http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me#comment-550 I remember that tool. There was also an x configurator. Of course, I think those were actually done on purpose - as a joke. I remember that tool. There was also an x configurator. Of course, I think those were actually done on purpose - as a joke.

]]> By: karhu http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me/#comment-136 karhu Mon, 16 Jul 2007 07:12:50 +0000 http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me#comment-136 Back in the days of Red Hat 6 there was a tool called the "Network Configurator". Back in the days of Red Hat 6 there was a tool called the “Network Configurator”.

]]> By: Thom Holwerda http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me/#comment-135 Thom Holwerda Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:36:16 +0000 http://firsttube.com/read/Words-and-Phrases-That-Annoy-Me#comment-135 Well, language changes. English is particularly prone to change, because of two factors:<br /> <br /> I) There's no governing body for the English language. Other languages, like Dutch, French, and German, have national language institutes which govern language change, and set official rules. They "maintain" languages and keep them up-to-date. The fact that this doesn't happen in English, means that change will happen without control.<br /> <br /> For instance, over the past 50 years, several 'strong' Dutch verbs morphed into 'weak' verbs; they were standardised. Some of these changes were made official by the Taalunie ('Language Union', our language institute), so that everyone knew how to spell the newer variations. The older, unused variations were 'deprecated'. This way, you keep a language up-to-date, and make sure the spoken and written language remains 'in sync'.<br /> <br /> II) English is a lingua franca, meaning it is influenced by just about any other language in existence. This leads to "dutchisms', 'germanisms', and so on. Are these '-isms' wrong? Well, without an official language institute, who gets to decide? Well, language changes. English is particularly prone to change, because of two factors:

I) There’s no governing body for the English language. Other languages, like Dutch, French, and German, have national language institutes which govern language change, and set official rules. They “maintain” languages and keep them up-to-date. The fact that this doesn’t happen in English, means that change will happen without control.

For instance, over the past 50 years, several ’strong’ Dutch verbs morphed into ‘weak’ verbs; they were standardised. Some of these changes were made official by the Taalunie (’Language Union’, our language institute), so that everyone knew how to spell the newer variations. The older, unused variations were ‘deprecated’. This way, you keep a language up-to-date, and make sure the spoken and written language remains ‘in sync’.

II) English is a lingua franca, meaning it is influenced by just about any other language in existence. This leads to “dutchisms’, ‘germanisms’, and so on. Are these ‘-isms’ wrong? Well, without an official language institute, who gets to decide?

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