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From: rafferty@cmu-cs-edu1.ARPA (Colin Rafferty)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Re: Non-sexist language (historical)
Message-ID: <379@cmu-cs-edu1.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 22-Jun-85 06:46:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-e.379
Posted: Sat Jun 22 06:46:53 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 23:54:35 EDT
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 36
Xref: watmath net.women:6151 net.nlang:3294

>> Unfortunately, the problem with dictionaries in general is that they will
>> list a common usage of the word, even if it is not correct.  
>> 
> 	Horsefeathers!  Who determines the standards of correctness?
> "Correct" is what the "correct" people say, and who is considered
> "correct" changes.
> 
> 	The idea that dictionaries just record what people
> use and not what is "correct" is an amusing one.  Who 
> should the dictionary makers consult for the "correct"
> usage?  A dictionary?  Your 9th grade English teacher?
> William Safire?   Language is used by people to communicate
> with other people.  It is the people who use it who give
> a language its life and they are the final arbitrators
> of what it is.  
> 
> Don Steiny - Computational Linguistics

Standards must be kept up, or the language will be corrupted a million
different ways.  We need to keep words with distinct meaning distinct.

I don't disagree with you about how the people create a language, I just
think that the language should be kept "clean".  Even if it means using non-
standard usage.  For example, I will use "y'all" when saying "you" wouldn't
be specific enough.  (When in a group, "See ____ later!")  And I was born
and raised in NYC (recent influence from Pgh, PA (P-U!)).

By the way, I think Safire would be a good source of "correct" usage,
although he is a little too conservative.

----
            Colin Rafferty { Math Department, Carnegie-Mellon University }

"I may not agree with your iedas, but I will defend to the death your right
 to speak them"
				-Thomas Jefferson