On "Joke Usage"

[David L. White]

> A mild correction.  My position is that "all sorts of bizarre things" are
> also happening in the present.

        Like what?

> <<...Other than silly things like the joke usage of "moi" in English.>>

> Good example.  I imagine the last of the Anglo-Saxon wordists hearing that
> medieval Muppeteer Chaucer reciting his Tales and then calling all those
> French and Latin words "silly things" that should properly be categorized as
> "joke usage."

        Well, when "moi" displaces "me" in isolative usage, then you will
have something.  Not before.

> <<...in this case mixed languages lurking under every rock...>>

> Or staring you in the face.

        Again, like what?

> Dr White's situation is not unlike that of the English natural philosopher
> who traveled to Australia prepared to debunk the existence of the platypus,
> the kangaroo, etc.  A boxing match was arranged between the philosopher
> and a representative of one of these fauna.  After being soundly thrashed and
> knocked out in the first round, Dr White - I mean, the philosopher denied
> he had lost the match on the grounds that his opponent was theoretically
> impossible.

        Excuse me, but last I heard you were not even able to coherently
distinguish between influence and descent.  I think you are mistaken about
who got knocked out inf the first round.

        By the way, since "mono-descent" is implicit in the comparative
method, saying anything along the lines of "I accept the comparative method
but reject mono-descent" is sort of like saying "I'll take the horse but not
the legs".

Dr. David L. White