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To: discostu

Joyce used his own form of grammar for artistic effect so that’s not a good comparison. I’m talking about standardized English not literary English. There has to be a set of standards agreed upon.

Do you know that the word ‘irony’ has basically been stripped of its meaning by the lazy who insist on using it to describe just about any commingling of events whether Ironic or not? It’s become a synonym of coincidence. English teachers are conceding that the word can’t be limited to its original definition any more. It’s awful.


76 posted on 11/03/2011 8:58:19 AM PDT by Borges
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To: discostu

and I’m not talking about “flowery language”. Languages simplify as they get older. I’m talking about basic sentence structure like “I am going to the store.” I have friends who teach English at the college level and kids coming out of high school can literally not put a sentence together, much less a paragraph.


77 posted on 11/03/2011 9:01:31 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

All forms of English change constantly, it’s always been that way it always will be.

Words change their meaning. Again it’s a constant thing. Eventually the connotation of a word takes over and replaces its denotation. It’s not awful, it’s standard. It’s what happens when language leaves the ivory tower and gets used.


78 posted on 11/03/2011 9:32:32 AM PDT by discostu (How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today)
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