Regularising the irregular

MollyB   Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:01 am GMT
To me, it seems sensible, a logical step, to regularise all English irregular verbs. This has already/is already being done by many English dialect speakers. I support such moves. Do you?
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:07 am GMT
No. I don't support it because it would be weird as fuck saying shit like:

I haved sleeped for four hours when he suddenly maked me wake up.
She bes happy because she haves a pencil which she buyed at the shop.
He doed it yesterday before he finded 40 dollars, which he putted in his pocket because he feeled like it.
MollyB   Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:52 am GMT
No. I don't support it because it would be weird as fuck saying shit like:

Wierd at first, maybe, but after some time wouldn't we get used to it? For example, would we be happy saying "help-holp-helpen"? That's how "help" used to conjugate.
MollyB   Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:53 am GMT
Edit:

<<No. I don't support it because it would be weird as fuck saying shit like: >>

Weird at first, maybe, but after some time wouldn't we get used to it? For example, would we be happy saying "help-holp-holpen"? That's how "help" used to conjugate.
Damian   Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:14 am GMT
This idea is a non starter. Sorry, it's just not on. It would make the English Language look ridiculously unreal and too simplistic, like making it a sort of dumbed down version for the benefit of people with learning difficulties. Most importantly, it would take all the character and style out of the Language, which has the added interest and challenge of being so irregular in the first place.

Getting to know all the irregularities and idiosyncracies of English is all part of the fun of learning the Language, either as native born youngsters or people learning it as a second Language. Making mistakes and committing howlers coming to terms with it all during the learning process is all part of the fun.

Turning English into some weird simpled form of an Anglicised Esperanto sounds too horrific for words. Dismiss the idea, guys. Learn English the hard way - we had to, why shouldn't you?

While we're at it, retain all the different varieties of global English, too. If we don't, it would make nonsense of such songs as "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off! - wouldn't it?

What a truly splendid April day it is here - not a cloud in the sky and all the blossoms are blossoming in the park outside and the birds are nesting there......what a pity we have to work!.....cheers!
Pos   Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:47 am GMT
This idea is a non starter. Sorry, it's just not on. It would make the English Language look ridiculously unreal and too simplistic, like making it a sort of dumbed down version for the benefit of people with learning difficulties.

So would you say that the Americans decided to change "colour" to "color", etc and use the past simple where the Brits would use the present perfect, e.g. "Did you eat yet?", was a sign of having learning difficulties in the USA?
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:49 am GMT
XMost importantly, it would take all the character and style out of the Language, which has the added interest and challenge of being so irregular in the first place. X

Why is being irregular an added interest?
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:19 am GMT
<<This has already/is already being done by many English dialect speakers.>>

Which dialect has gotten rid of all the irregular verbs? Did they also get rid of the useless 's' ending for the 3rd person singular?

While we're at it, perhaps we could get rid of the plural and possessive forms of nouns, and those pesky comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. I suppose the past tense could be replaced with the present perfect, so we could get rid of the verb form with -ed. I suppose it's also time to get rid of the varous cases for pronouns, and make the spelling phonetic, too (based on Standard American Dialect, of course.) Capital letters could probably go away at that time, along with phrasal verbs. Perhaps commas, periods, etc. could be dispensed with, and just think how clean English would look without spaces between the words.

Another possibility would be to find some English pidgin that has already done most of this, and adopt that as the standard form of English.
Johnny   Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:27 am GMT
<<To me, it seems sensible, a logical step, to regularise all English irregular verbs.>>

Then go ahead and do it. You'll be the only one talking weird. Maybe one day that'll happen for a lot of speakers of English, but it'll be natural evolution. You alone do NOT change anything (but you could make up some slang that will make you popular in your high school.... that'd be totally norris!)
Pos   Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:35 am GMT
Another possibility would be to find some English pidgin that has already done most of this, and adopt that as the standard form of English.

I'm all for it! Let's go.
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:35 am GMT
which dialect get rid all irregular verb do they also get rid useless 's' ending for 3rd person singular

while we be at it, perhaps we get rid plural and possessive form noun and pesky comparative and superlative form adjective i suppose past tense replace with present perfect so we get rid verb form with -ed i suppose it be also time to get rid varous case pronoun and make spelling phonetic too base on standard american dialect of course capital letter probably go away that time along with phrasal verb perhaps comma period etc dispense with and just think how clean english look without space between word

another possibility be find some english pidgin that already do most this and adopt that standard form english

(I'll have to admit that it has a certain simplicity, and I think most of the meaning is still there.)
Xie   Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:00 pm GMT
But are they that regular? All I can see are ablaut stuff (swim, swam, swum), non-changing weird stuff (hit, hit, hit) and shorter endings (learnt, burnt, felt), etc.

Orthography is a more serious problem, I'd say. I don't mind if there are loads of mute letters, but I do hope English could at least look more French... replacing right with rite would be a great idea.
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:35 pm GMT
No!Tthe simplification of English has already gone too far. The irregular past tense of verbs do not cause any major headache for learners, unlike verb conjugation in many other languages. I'd rather see it go the other way with a gradual return to a more complex morphology. I'm not sure how this could happen, although I do sometimes notice that when I am typing fast I somehow find myself adding an 's' to an adjective preceding a plural. Maybe that could be the first thing to bring in!
guest1   Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:09 pm GMT
If English wouldn't look like English, it wouldn't be English!

I don't understand why every now and then someone comes up with proposals like that made in the topic. Antimoon is dedicated for learning the real English, not to rape it!

To my mind irregular forms are also for efficiency of speach. Even if regularised, they would reappear because they are more natural and easier to pronounce. Or new irregularities would occure.
They are easier to recognize, too.

If you want to get a feeling for a highly regular languge, learn Turkish! You will soon recognize despite it being very easy at the beginning it is quite difficult when it comes to understand complex sentences.

You can't have everything simple. Increasing simplicity on one aspect will most likely increase complexity on another or will decrease its applicability.

By the way, it is highly recommented to quote text taken form other postings. It saves the reader much time to see what parts of a posting are taken form other postings (and who posted it originally).
guest1   Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:12 pm GMT
Correction:

You can't have everything simple. Increasing simplicity on one aspect will most likely increase complexity on another or will decrease the applicability of the language.