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Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

(OP)
I have watched evolve within our company:
Air waybill
Air-waybill
Airwaybill

Air shipment
Air-shipment
Airshipment

It made me realise words and spelling evolve from people who don't, won't, or can't spell. They are the architects of change.

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

Nothing new under the sun.

Hg

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

to be perdantic, initially in both cases it should be;
Air-waybill
and
Air-shipment

if "air waybill" is it a waybill for air ?
or
if it is air shipment - are you shipping air?   

Like many co-joined words in English - they start out with a hypen and end up as a single word.

That's English and aren't we lucky that we can change the language to suit our needs.

Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

(OP)
My point is what is "correct" is mobile, and the mobility is driven by people who who don't, won't, or can't spell.
The rest of us are boat anchors.

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

rnd2,
I'm with you.  I was in Nuclear Power and we called ourselves "Nucs" (pronounced "nuke") and a few years ago I saw a reference to the retention problems with "Nukes".  Way back when, we would had squashed anyone who wrote the word that way, but today there is no comment on it.  

I guess lazy, dumb, uninformable people were also responsible for "Nick" being a legitimate replacement for "Nicholas".

David

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

(OP)
Drat, sorry about the extra who.

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

English does not evolve from people who won't spell.  English is allowed to evolve by those who allow the mis-spellers to get away with it.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

Evolving or devolving?

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

It really depends on who is misspelling the words.  If a misspelled word is used by Joe  from the welding department it may be propogated throughout Joe's shop.  If a misspelled word is used in writing by a modern day Mark Twain, it will probably be studied by lexicographers and may be used to alter future dictionaries.

On a similar note, I can't wait to see how the contributors to the OED handle Bill Clinton's use of the word "is."

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

"Fastasleep" -- as a non US speaker of English  - can you please expand on Bill Clinton's use of "is"

Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand

RE: Does English Evolve From People Who Won't Spell?

In his second term as President, Bill Clinton was impeached, which is to be charged with high crimes or misdemeaners while acting in government office.  It's a long story, but he was charged with perjury relating to a sexual affair he had with a White House intern.  When he was answering questions to a Grand Jury, he gave his famous (in the U.S.) answer.  To the question of whether or not receiving felatio is considered "having sex", he replied, "well, that depends on what your definition of is, is."

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