[Linguistic Anthropology] So Be It

[Alexandre]

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/23/AR2007062301369_pf.html]

Via Michael Erard's blog:

Two Little Letters, Addressed to Everyone, That Speak Volumes -
washingtonpost.com
One thing I like about this piece is that, despite some quotes with
negative connotations, it doesn't seem to be the typical prescriptivist
normative language snobbery of the "kids these days don't know how to
speak proper" type. Because it describes the usefulness of such a
common word, it's much closer to what linguistic anthropology's passion
with use of language in everyday life.Also, for non-native speakers of
English (or for ESL teachers), this piece could serve as a useful
reminder that, despite the pervasiveness of disambiguation in
Anglo-centric language ideology, English has this type of evocative
power which is so cherished by speakers of other languages like Farsi
or French.

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Posted By Alexandre to Linguistic Anthropology at 6/25/2007 03:07:00 PM
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