Comments on: Mangled Words http://www.bonilogue.com/?p=85 Web log of John Boni Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:39:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: juliette http://www.bonilogue.com/?p=85&cpage=1#comment-4 juliette Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:22:52 +0000 http://www.bonilogue.com/2006/06/11/mangled-words/#comment-4 <p>Very true. But is that specific to television? I remember my father complaining of the same thing happening in French newspapers (but, French in general actually). The emerging use of the word "jeune" (young) as a noun even though it is an adjective. The excessive use of "formidable" (terrific). The use of "absolument" (absolutely) and "tout a fait" (entirely) instead of simply "oui" (yes). He was claiming that things were different before, that people used to take better care of respecting language and the meaning of words, and I believed him. But one day I read something from someone in roman times who was having exactly the same complaints. And one day I heard my uncle replying to my father's complaint that this is the very nature of living languages. They evolve. As a biologist, I tend to agree with my uncle. If languages didn't evolve, they would be dead. And, if uncontrolled, there is no reason for this evolution to change things towards the most efficient or the most logical. Current French, for example, is a very good example of the amazing lack of logic that can creep into an evolving language. To start with, we actually use for negation a double negation, which in theory should be an affirmation (Je ne veux pas -> I do not want not). The most extreme example I know, for spoken language: when we are astonished, and really wonder what something is or are angry (say, when you catch the dog pooping in the living room), we say "qu'est-ce que c'est que ca?", which translates into "what is this that that is that that?". How much better can one do? I think that its great lack of logic is what makes the French language one of the most difficult to learn.</p> <p>But, we can consciously control the evolution of languages, to make sure that they do not get too messy, and clean them up once in a while, just like the Spanish did (or at least I think I heard they did). Yes, languages might need to be cleaned sometimes. Just like any living thing.</p> Very true. But is that specific to television? I remember my father complaining of the same thing happening in French newspapers (but, French in general actually). The emerging use of the word “jeune” (young) as a noun even though it is an adjective. The excessive use of “formidable” (terrific). The use of “absolument” (absolutely) and “tout a fait” (entirely) instead of simply “oui” (yes). He was claiming that things were different before, that people used to take better care of respecting language and the meaning of words, and I believed him. But one day I read something from someone in roman times who was having exactly the same complaints. And one day I heard my uncle replying to my father’s complaint that this is the very nature of living languages. They evolve. As a biologist, I tend to agree with my uncle. If languages didn’t evolve, they would be dead. And, if uncontrolled, there is no reason for this evolution to change things towards the most efficient or the most logical. Current French, for example, is a very good example of the amazing lack of logic that can creep into an evolving language. To start with, we actually use for negation a double negation, which in theory should be an affirmation (Je ne veux pas -> I do not want not). The most extreme example I know, for spoken language: when we are astonished, and really wonder what something is or are angry (say, when you catch the dog pooping in the living room), we say “qu’est-ce que c’est que ca?”, which translates into “what is this that that is that that?”. How much better can one do? I think that its great lack of logic is what makes the French language one of the most difficult to learn.

But, we can consciously control the evolution of languages, to make sure that they do not get too messy, and clean them up once in a while, just like the Spanish did (or at least I think I heard they did). Yes, languages might need to be cleaned sometimes. Just like any living thing.

]]> By: LisaLisa http://www.bonilogue.com/?p=85&cpage=1#comment-3 LisaLisa Sun, 11 Jun 2006 21:37:09 +0000 http://www.bonilogue.com/2006/06/11/mangled-words/#comment-3 <p>Hey JohnBoni! I'm both too cheap and too lazy to actually hunt down and buy today's Herald Sun, but laughed out loud when I read the last paragraph of "Mangled Words" on the BoniLogue (great "word", btw)!</p> Hey JohnBoni! I’m both too cheap and too lazy to actually hunt down and buy today’s Herald Sun, but laughed out loud when I read the last paragraph of “Mangled Words” on the BoniLogue (great “word”, btw)!

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