Why do some here wish that English was linguistically pure?

Travis   Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:54 pm GMT
The problem with Romance and Latinate vocabulary in English is that, while all but the most natized Romance and Latinate forms feel somewhat out of place in normal spoke English, the modern equivalents to the original Old and Middle English forms that could replace such, had they not been lost, are so foreign to English-speakers today that they cannot really be reasonably used to replace them. One honestly cannot say much of a significant depth in English without using a good amount of Romance and Latinate vocabulary, but at the same time one cannot sound truly natural in English using such either - everything ends up coming out rather literary and artificial at some point or another. Yet, at the same time, we can never do what has been done in the case of things like Icelandic or Turkish, and thus such a state of affairs has become permanent.
Travis   Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:02 pm GMT
That should be "normal spoken English" above.
Guest   Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:16 pm GMT
Latin words don't sound unnatural to me. People use tons of Latin words for everyday things perfectly naturally. It's only the rare words used in academic journals and certain novels that sound literary and for good reason, in those cases.
Guest   Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:37 pm GMT
<<while all but the most natized Romance and Latinate forms feel somewhat out of place in normal spoke English>>

If you think this you must have a complex, seek help immediately.

If you get rid of Latin words, English will become nothing more than a creole like garbage tongue. It could even be called "artificial" on the level of lowly Esperanto. Ha ha ha!
Guest   Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:31 am GMT
Latinates are becoming more natural in the language over time, and not so stilted as they might have been once. Perhaps even as recent as 100 years many of them were still mostly literary words, but with modern technology and communication they are now permeating and enriching the spoken language in every sphere.
Guest   Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:57 am GMT
This kicking out of the English bowharken of words coming from the Roman widespread are auftnaught for dockingbaster. I must say, I am quite reenkoft about this wonderful toughwork bookmeister task for I think it's knogling and meirchrasten. Let the English speaking people togethercome and bring to the bowharken komlageen and vilkopraugh.
Guest   Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:11 pm GMT
Lol, translation please!!
Guest   Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:25 pm GMT
<<Latinates are becoming more natural in the language over time, and not so stilted as they might have been once. Perhaps even as recent as 100 years many of them were still mostly literary words, but with modern technology and communication they are now permeating and enriching the spoken language in every sphere. >>

Not true. They are dropping OUT of the language faster than any other type of word--to the angst of English teachers worldwide who are desperately becosting (attempting) to stem this guite (issue, outflow) with their dreaded vocabulary lists.

This is not the 19th Century folks. People don't need Latinate quids (expressions, terms) to make them feel like they are worth something. We *are* worth something (--we're frickin' runnin' the whole damn universe now), and we don't need pretention to dictate who we are.

<<This kicking out of the English bowharken of words coming from the Roman widespread are auftnaught for dockingbaster. I must say, I am quite reenkoft about this wonderful toughwork bookmeister task for I think it's knogling and meirchrasten. Let the English speaking people togethercome and bring to the bowharken komlageen and vilkopraugh. >>

That luides (sounds) like German not English!
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:33 am GMT
Why not just revert back to Old English while we're at it?
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:11 am GMT
<<Not true. They are dropping OUT of the language faster than any other type of word--to the angst of English teachers worldwide who are desperately becosting (attempting) to stem this guite (issue, outflow) with their dreaded vocabulary lists.>>

Really? What's replacing them? Certainly not the made-up words you wrote in that post.
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:29 am GMT
So, why do some people want to create a pure English anyway? Is it a nationalistic thing or what?
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:05 am GMT
I think it's a small penis thing. They wanna be able to say "we have a pure language so it doesn't matter".
Damian in Edinburgh   Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:46 am GMT
Language exists for one sole purpose doesn't it? It exists as a means of communication between people, and so long as it achieves that aim then its "purity" isn't really all that vital is it? As far as the English Language is concerned (the focus of this forum) it does take on an additional charm if it is expressed in a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing way, both spoken or written, but neverthless it's main purpose is to make people be understood by others whataver form it takes.

I could well rant on in pure Scots here and confuse the lot of you out there, whereas most of my mates here would know precisely what I'm sounding off about.
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:51 am GMT
"I think it's a small penis thing. They wanna be able to say "we have a pure language so it doesn't matter"."

Haha, that's it!
Guest   Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:14 am GMT
<<
I could well rant on in pure Scots here and confuse the lot of you out there, whereas most of my mates here would know precisely what I'm sounding off about.>>

Damian, do you speak Scots? As in the allegedly separate language?