Yeah, I just tend to be on the side that sees languages as ever-changing things, and I'm just fascinated with the process of change, and more willing to sit back and watch what they're doing, instead of trying to proscribe things. (I'm still stymied by the Great Vowel Shift in English and how it happened so fast.)
My opinion is also based in what I see as the reality of language shift and change: that trying to stop language change is about as effective as nailing Jell-O to the ceiling. I understand the necessity for nailing things down in written and formal usage, especially as the globalization that this whole discussion started being about continues, because we need to have some sort of agreement on words and their meaning in order to communicate, but as far as informal usage goes, I don't see the point in caring.
(er - I'm with you on the seeing-your-point-but-not-sharing-it thing, if it's not clear.)
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Date: 2004-08-23 03:06 am (UTC)My opinion is also based in what I see as the reality of language shift and change: that trying to stop language change is about as effective as nailing Jell-O to the ceiling. I understand the necessity for nailing things down in written and formal usage, especially as the globalization that this whole discussion started being about continues, because we need to have some sort of agreement on words and their meaning in order to communicate, but as far as informal usage goes, I don't see the point in caring.
(er - I'm with you on the seeing-your-point-but-not-sharing-it thing, if it's not clear.)