Comments on: How I Became a Descriptivist http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:43:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Jonathon http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-178 Jonathon Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:58:30 +0000 http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-178 Yeah, I know. But I felt strangely compelled to reply seriously anyway. Yeah, I know. But I felt strangely compelled to reply seriously anyway.

]]> By: Porteiro http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-177 Porteiro Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:47:52 +0000 http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-177 Yeah, I'm just giving you a hard time. Thus the winking smiley. :) Yeah, I’m just giving you a hard time. Thus the winking smiley. :)

]]> By: Jonathon http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-176 Jonathon Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:52:47 +0000 http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-176 Peter: Thank you, and you're welcome. I should clarify that I don't think prescriptivism is always a bad thing. I would classify respecting convention as a prescriptivist approach, but there's nothing wrong with that unless the convention itself is somehow flawed. I absolutely agree that good editing requires an informed perspective and good judgement. Porteiro: I don't think that's really accurate. I'm not trying to be condescending. I'm rather trying to show why, in my opinion, certain approaches to language are wrong. Prescriptivists frustrate me when they take books like <i>Strunk and White</i> as inerrant scripture, refuse to adapt to change or to admit they might be wrong about the issues, and then <a href="http://mr-verb.blogspot.com/2008/02/lax-societies-lax-languages.html" rel="nofollow">misrepresent what linguists actually believe</a>. This demonstrates to me that a lot of prescriptivists are not really interested in the truth, and that bothers me. Peter: Thank you, and you’re welcome. I should clarify that I don’t think prescriptivism is always a bad thing. I would classify respecting convention as a prescriptivist approach, but there’s nothing wrong with that unless the convention itself is somehow flawed. I absolutely agree that good editing requires an informed perspective and good judgement.

Porteiro: I don’t think that’s really accurate. I’m not trying to be condescending. I’m rather trying to show why, in my opinion, certain approaches to language are wrong.

Prescriptivists frustrate me when they take books like Strunk and White as inerrant scripture, refuse to adapt to change or to admit they might be wrong about the issues, and then misrepresent what linguists actually believe. This demonstrates to me that a lot of prescriptivists are not really interested in the truth, and that bothers me.

]]> By: Porteiro http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-174 Porteiro Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:44:00 +0000 http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-174 So basically, you look at prescriptivists and mentally pat them on the head while saying "Yeah, I used to think that way too. Then I got educated." ;) So basically, you look at prescriptivists and mentally pat them on the head while saying “Yeah, I used to think that way too. Then I got educated.” ;)

]]> By: Peter Sokolowski http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-173 Peter Sokolowski Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:34:06 +0000 http://www.arrantpedantry.com/2008/02/04/how-i-became-a-descriptivist/#comment-173 Great post! Thanks for your kind words about the "Dictionary of English Usage." I would only add that respecting convention isn't always the same as prescriptivism when contemplating the role of a good editor. Style and clarity require judgment -- maybe just another way of saying 'informed' prescription, I suppose! E.Ward Gilman, the principal editor of MWDEU (now retired), also liked the non-Churchill quote. Thanks, Peter Sokolowski Editor at Large Merriam-Webster Great post! Thanks for your kind words about the “Dictionary of English Usage.” I would only add that respecting convention isn’t always the same as prescriptivism when contemplating the role of a good editor. Style and clarity require judgment — maybe just another way of saying ‘informed’ prescription, I suppose!

E.Ward Gilman, the principal editor of MWDEU (now retired), also liked the non-Churchill quote.

Thanks,

Peter Sokolowski
Editor at Large
Merriam-Webster

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