Grammatical mistakes

[R. M. Cleminson]

If it's any consolation, even Avanesov in 1959 marks творог stressed on the first syllable as доп[устимо], and by the tenth edition of Ozhegov's dictionary, 19 years later, the two possible stresses have equal status, so nobody need worry about that.  (And in fact it must be years since I heard this word stressed on the second syllable.)

On the wider point, you can't get it wrong unless it's also possible to get it right, and this applies both to the evolving norms of speech and the literary standard.  Thus Gsg. жене is usual in some Northern dialects, but is definitely not part of the literary norm, so it would be correct in informal conversation in a village on the Dvina, but a mistake in standard Russian.  (And Gsg. *жену would be wrong in either.)

One is thus perfectly justified in complaining of mistakes in standard Russian or English where standard Russian or English is supposed to be used.  The reason for them, however, may be either that the perpetrators have not mastered the standard language (which may be their own fault or their teachers'), or that they have a different perception of the contexts in which the literary norm ought to be adhered to.  Considering the movement towards informality in both the English-speaking and Russian-speaking communities (the latter more recent and more radical), it is not surprising that at present there are frequent mismatches of perception of the appropriate register of language in many contexts, and that, consequently, speakers more and more often produce forms which they may consider normal in the register in which they expect to speak, but are mistakes in the register which their hearers expect.

The written language is another matter, since for the last couple of centuries it has existed only as in standardised form, and therefore one has every right to deplore the "greengrocer's apostrophe".

_____________________________________________________________________

Hladate brigadu na leto? Skuste ju najst u nas http://praca.sme.sk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------