ah/ awe

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Oct 3, 2006, at 12:38 PM, Tom Zurinskas wrote:

> I know it's a dream.  But I think the quest toward one optimal
> pronunciatoin
> of English dialect for best communication is a good thing.  I don't
> know why
> you can't fashion this.  For an applicaiton think of air traffic
> control.
> The standard is English.  The clearest pronunciation should be taught.

mindful of benjamin barrett's wry posting on "troll", i forbear to do
a full response (from linguistics 101) about how the idea that
language is "for communication" is either uninteresteringly true,
because "communication" is being understood in some absurdly broad
way, or just false, because only a tiny part of language use involves
the exchange of bits of fact, and about the idea that variation is
some defect in the system, when i think it's not only necessitated by
the circumstances of language use (shaped by human nature and human
needs) but also a central and vital feature of language.

it might just be that the interloper is drastically literal-minded,
obstinately ignorant, and supremely self-assured.  in the past i've
mistaken postings from such people as trollings. on the other hand,
in the past i've also been flat wrong about such things.

arnold

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