RIP, the English language

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MTM

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
8,099
A good read by Gene Weingarten. I love the highlighted sentences.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/13/AR2010091304476.html

The English language, which arose from humble Anglo-Saxon roots to become the lingua franca of 600 million people worldwide and the dominant lexicon of international discourse, is dead. It succumbed last month at the age of 1,617 after a long illness. It is survived by an ignominiously diminished form of itself.

The end came quietly on Aug. 21 on the letters page of The Washington Post. A reader castigated the newspaper for having written that Sasha Obama was the "youngest" daughter of the president and first lady, rather than their "younger" daughter. In so doing, however, the letter writer called the first couple the "Obama's." This, too, was published, constituting an illiterate proofreading of an illiterate criticism of an illiteracy. Moments later, already severely weakened, English died of shame. ...
 
I thought that the fatal blow was struck when most folks gave up on figuring out the difference between healthy and healthful.
 
The English language is thriving. He seemed to be lamenting the death of the newspaper copy editor.
 
dooley_womack1 said:
And so much for the statement of condolence.

Pues, en espanol, tal vez.

Boom can write the official SportsJournalists.com letter of condolence.
 
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No, no, it's still alive and kicking, I just checked. I guess Cliff Fletcher must have passed along another bad rumor.
 
Hopefully, the offense of line can protect the English language.


(yes, I've seen that used by a stringer).
 
I complement the author. The letter will have a great effect on future English usage.
 

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