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The Problem with Grammar References
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The Problem with Grammar References |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Following the "Problem with Grammar" post, here is another article, I hope people will read and comment on. Eskimos, words, and problems? Curious if anybody knows the right answer to the question posed here. http://www.vocabula.com/VRSEPT00Halpern.htm Thanks, Brad [This message has been edited by Brad (edited 07-29-2001).] |
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Ron
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Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US |
quote: What question? I don't think I saw any posed… I haven't previously followed this controversy and hesitate to reach conclusions based only on the viewpoints of one Mark Halpern - but am far less hesitant to express preliminary opinions that are otherwise very much subject to change. Descriptionists are absolutely wrong. Prescriptionists are mostly wrong. I think we very much need a third choice. How about Inscriptionists? p.s. If you are using a browser other than IE, you won't be able to access this article. Bad HTML is even more endemic than bad English, it seems. And with much the same results.  |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
How many words do 'Eskimos' have for snow? Halpern seems to be saying thank you for correcting me but still seems to think (given the envoi) that 'Eskimos' still have more words for snow than we do. In my first year of college, my Cultural Antropology teacher said something like four or five different words for snow. He spent two years there so I figured he'd at least know some of the language. Why did the mistake occur in the first place? I've seen this style done a couple of times in articles I agree with somewhat. Sceptics, when preaching to the converted, have a tendency to follow the same path. I don't like it. It just seems that the counter case (that Eskimos don't have more words for snow than we do)should have at least been described rather than simply asserted and the reasoning for the mistake described as well. Almost a case of somebody calling the kettle black if you think about it. Brad |
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