Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?
New cognitive research suggests that language profoundly influences the way people see the world
The Internet is hacking into our language. More and more, we hear onlinese words and phrases in day-to-day conversation — epic fail, full of win, newbs.
We are friending and de-friending each other. We are concerned about sexting. We speak of spamming and linking and blog blog blog. Meanwhile, we are tweeting away like a tiding of magpies.
A wide-ranging collection of odd words and trivia about language. Try the history of "dord" on page one, and then try to stop browsing through the rest. Thanks Sneedle Flipsock
It's a verbal virus that's spreading unchecked on TV, radio and in print.
Want to sound certain? Want to remove all doubt? Want to be a commentator on TV?
Absolutely.
It has become the standard reply to every question or comment. It clings like lint to our conversations.
Are we in a recession senator? "Absolutely not."Was Michael Jackson a musical genius?"Absolutely." Want syrup on those pancakes?Absolutely.
It's even reached the highest office in the land. When President Obama was recently asked by a Pakistani journalist if he read Urdu poetry, he said: "Absolutely."
We hear of videos that go viral. But why has this word, absolutely, taken off?
Watch: The words you love to hate »
Phraseology
Thousands of Bizarre Origins, Unexpected Connections, and Fascinating Facts about English's Best Expressions
by Barbara Kipfer
Phraseology is the ultimate collection of everything you never knew about the wonderful phrases found in the English language. It contains information about phrase history and etymology; unusual, lost, or uncommon phrases; how phrases are formed; and more than 7,000 facts about common English phrases.
Find out more or buy the book at The Book Depository or Amazon.
In its new digital form, ... research is more accessible. It allows larger projects to share the world’s linguistic heritage with a wider public of teachers and learners, including, when possible, the original speakers.
The aim is not just to salvage, but to revive.
THE official number of languages spoken around the world has been boosted by the work of two Melbourne researchers, who have added 30 ‘‘new’’ languages — the most for any single country — to a list of living languages.
[From Judy Vorfield]
Me, Myself, or I?
Have you ever wondered if you should say, "Jason and myself..." or "Jason and I..."? Wonder no more! I have the answer.
"Myself" is a reflexive pronoun, a personal pronoun that relates (think "reflect") the action of the verb back to the subject. Examples: I drove the car myself. (I-myself.) He drove by himself (he-himself). They went by themselves (they-themselves).
CLUE: When using "myself," make sure there is an "I" earlier in the sentence.Example 1.INCORRECT: Nancy will travel with Todd and myself.EXPLANATION: Let's remove "Todd and" from the sentence. Nancy will not travel with myself. "Myself" must be a reflection of "I," and there's no "I" in the sentence.CORRECT: Nancy will travel with Todd and me.
Example 2.INCORRECT: Mother and myself will go to the store.EXPLANATION: Let's remove "Mother and." Would you say, "Myself will go to the store"?CORRECT: Mother and I will go to the store.
Reflexive pronouns like "myself" can't be the subject of a sentence. They're generally used to emphasize something. "I'll do it" isn't as strong as "I'll do it myself." Sometimes reflexive pronouns are called "self"ish pronouns.
Additional Resources:
* Reflexive Pronouns* Professor Paul Brians: I/Me/Myself* The Tongue Untied
[From THIS is TRUE www.thisistrue.com]
EDUSPEAK: Forget "compare and contrast"; schoolchildren now learn "text-to-text connections". They don't go to "home room" but rather "Achievement Time" or, in some schools, "Time to Care". The temporary classroom is now a "learning cottage" rather than a "trailer". Even the humble essay is gone, replaced by the "extended constructed response".
"If teachers want to talk in those terms among themselves, they're welcome to," says Vocabulary Review publisher Hartwell Fiske. "But introducing children to them is criminal, dehumanizing." Students agree. "It's like renaming a prison 'The Happy Fun Place'," complains a Maryland senior. "Tests should be called tests. 'Brief constructed response'; you just wonder why they don't say 'paragraph'." (Washington Post) ...It's nice that kids still get to learn about George Orwell.