http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/blog1/2008/12/30/democrecy/ Cantankerous commentary on what we speak and why we speak it, from Bill Brohaugh Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:43:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/blog1/2008/12/30/democrecy/comment-page-1/#comment-1667 Bill Brohaugh Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:16:27 +0000 http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/blog1/2008/12/30/democrecy/#comment-1667 Yeah coincidence: veto and vote are both from Latin but from different words. Diffarent words? Differant words? And how long can we keep this swap-the-a-with-an-e running gag going? Yeah coincidence: veto and vote are both from Latin but from different words. Diffarent words? Differant words? And how long can we keep this swap-the-a-with-an-e running gag going?

]]> http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/blog1/2008/12/30/democrecy/comment-page-1/#comment-1638 JohnnyB Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:24:02 +0000 http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/blog1/2008/12/30/democrecy/#comment-1638 I tend to cling to the rules I learned early on and I resist the evolution of grammar and spelling. I don't like using "they" or "them" with singular verb forms even though it is easier than using he/she combinations. However, I have learned from your books and your blog (an odious word, but one that the blogosphere has voted in) that sometimes the "new" spelling or usage is really an old one resurrected. In any event, the argument that spelling the paper and the motionlessness alike would cause confusion is to go against the very principles of English. I like our words like "wind", "lead" and "live" which can be pronounced differently and have a pronounced different meaning. I think the fact that it might be confusing is reason enough to vote for the common spelling; but I'm going to make my own petition proposing that both words be spelled "stationery", just to be contrery. By the way, is it just coincidence that "vote" and "veto" are so similar? I tend to cling to the rules I learned early on and I resist the evolution of grammar and spelling. I don’t like using “they” or “them” with singular verb forms even though it is easier than using he/she combinations. However, I have learned from your books and your blog (an odious word, but one that the blogosphere has voted in) that sometimes the “new” spelling or usage is really an old one resurrected.
In any event, the argument that spelling the paper and the motionlessness alike would cause confusion is to go against the very principles of English. I like our words like “wind”, “lead” and “live” which can be pronounced differently and have a pronounced different meaning. I think the fact that it might be confusing is reason enough to vote for the common spelling; but I’m going to make my own petition proposing that both words be spelled “stationery”, just to be contrery.
By the way, is it just coincidence that “vote” and “veto” are so similar?

]]>