Why hasn't American had a reform in spelling ? Usually Americans are quick to adopt innovations and new ideas. Why is "laugh" spelled in such an archaic way ? Even comic strips sometimes spell it, "laf". Maybe the new text message written dialect will eventually incite a reform in spelling.
Maybe 700 years ago in Middle English the "gh" in laugh was pronounced in a gutteral Germanic asperated "ch" as in "ach". The printing press froze those archaisms into the spelling, but in oral speech, they are long gone. Noah Webster started a break from English spelling in the late 18th century and over the 19th century many American spelling simplifications were adopted, such as public for publick. Another successful change our revolutionary ancestors made was to get rid of the "u" in words like colour, making it color. But many, many suggested spelling reforms died stillborn.
About 80 years ago in his fine book, "The American Language", H. L. Mencken traces American spelling and shows how a large number of reforms were adopted, but said that Anglophiles, pedantics and schoolmarms inhibited the adoption of new words, grammars and spelling. He also shows that in Britain, adoption of American spelling reforms was inhibited by Ameriphobes, pedantics and schoolmarms. Sheesh.
Early last century, a Simplied Spelling Board subsidized by Carnegie was active, making many spelling reform suggestions. Very few seem to have been adopted.
Langauges like German and Polish had spelling reforms after World War II (German was as recent as 1996). Why not American ? Sheesh, are we being out-innovated ? America is supposed to be modern, innovative, using concepts and creating new ideas, uses and things. Why don't we reform spelling ?
Words like laugh, slaughter, daughter, eight, and on and on.
Let's start with the obvious, easy ones.
Laugh -> laf.
Slaughter -> slauter
daughter -> dauter.
Eight -> ate. [upon reflection, "ait" works better, as in wait, bait]
Foot -> fut to follow put. That's how the texters spell is now anyway.
Well, I'm running out of time, but I'll post many more suggestions later. And any "good" suggestions from readers are welcome & I'll post those, too.
Word of the Day
"Orthography" - noun [$10]
Orthography means 1(a) correct or conventional spelling 1(b) spelling with reference to its correctness (dreadful orthography); 1(c) the study or science of spelling; 2(a) perspective projection used in maps and elevations in which the projection lines are parallel; 2(b) a map so projected.
Sentence: Reform in American orthography in coming, led by the new text message written diglossia. Bunkerman is calling for a commission to Simply American Spelling, or perhaps a global convention to simply spelling of the American-English language.
La Parola della Settimana
"Bere" - verb, irregular
Bere means to drink.
La frase: Adesso bevo il caffé.
Sentence: Now I am drinking coffee.
About Me
- Bunkerman
- I have a pioneer mentality. My wife & I live in the woods - neighbors aren't visible except slightly in winter. Our "bunker" - hehe, really a fine home & barn - has plenty of security. We have four dogs: Krypto (age 9, Kelpie), Ava (age 13, Rat Terrier), Sky (Kelpie, age 5) and Lucky Star (age 1, kelpie). I don't take crap from anyone anymore, having enough resources & gear stocked up to survive in any circumstance. I have three degrees from Harvard including a Ph. D. in a physical science, and an MS in Management from MIT. I worked as an investment banker for about 25 years, mainly in secured finance, at three major Wall Street firms and for the last 17 years with my partners at our own firm. I'm semi-retired now, managing some private corporations and business interests and doing my own trading & investing. This is not to boast, but to give you an idea I know a little about some subjects from experience. The photo is my 1943 M16 half-track which I am restoring. These armored vehicles were ubiquitous in the US Army in World War II and Korea. It's driveable.
47 comments:
CYA L8R....lol
"You gots to git those Benjamins so you cin git dat bling-bling fo yo ride"
uh, Spin, I didn't say adopt the Black English dialect.
Eight -> ate.
five,six,seven,ate
no thanks, I ate an hour ago.......
maybe "ait" then. to follow wait, bait, etc.
We need the SEC to step up it's game...we are getting overbought and the beefers are planning a raid...only an uptick rule and eliminating those juiced up dark etf's can stop those beasts...Bunky can you sense them coming to stomp in your mud hole.
My thinking now is the beefers are wary, awaiting something bad to occur before they attack. Maybe CA default. Their last effort took heavy shelling. They need something to aid them & scare bulls.
Waiting on the SEC is like watching the grass grow. They are so far in the pocket of the Street, maybe they'll never crawl out.
Bunky you nonono own any fins...your case that we have an all clear is weak and not supported by your book...you are weak and unprepared.
I own JPM and HBC in Fido. In Obama have CIT, MS.
I am prepared.
Plenty of infrastructure stocks, too.
Hey you, Obama, stop talking and spend that money !!!
Shankapotamus very quiet.....telling indeed.....callin off the dogs pal
where is my BFF...share my animal crackers with him and nonono show...must be off to scotland...typical paki behavior indeed...fold up the tent, pack the camel and slip out into the night.
prolly learning some new dirty words,,,cuz he was "tawt" in training camp... Americans "hait" that...
good spin ... the beginning of amovement.
tawt works well
Hate is simple enough - like ate.
then lets make it slawter and dawter in the Bunklish dictionary..lol
yore right...hait doesnt work..lol
maybe yes, re slawter, dawter.
why use au when aw works, and it's in awe, awful, haw-haw, crawl, crawfish, etc.
good job Spin.
BWEN short, shark stock of the week...up 6% today in a blood red tape...picture of consistency indeed....thx jim
Bloomberg: "White Sugar Drops In London On U.S. Consumer Confidence Slump."....all the talk down at drucker's general store bunky...best beat feet down there and toss the checkerboard.
????????????????????
I think I'll look at some charts. Maybe something on my list look better now.
you mean wite sugar???...lool
looks better ... sheesh.
nope. Nothing better.
uh spin, I think we all aspirate the "h" in White.
Except maybe Elmer Fudd.
of course, black should be blak, etc.
sorry h not needed.... Bunklish about keeping it simple..you cant say drop the c in blak and not the h in wite.....lol
nyet nein nie non no : it still has to be phontic.
the "h" stays.
looool
here are some other changes that American was evolving to untillteh Anglophiles & pedantics took over:
I is
You is
he is
We are
Youse are
They are
I was
You was
He was
We were
youse were
they were.
I has
you has
he has
We have
Youse have
they have.
Very simple conjugation & better pronouns.
And not more of that,
I don't have any ...
It's "I don't got no ..."
that any crap is thrust on us by "them"
Double negatives are very common in world languages - very natural.
By the way, all this comes from H. L. Mencken and those English history books I've read.
a language revolution by Bunkerman !
The Amerioan Language .. no more of the "English" crap.
MERNIE!!!!!!!!
ware r u?
in German, mav, that is
"Wo bist du"
NVAX lookin good here mern........this news from spain appears very significant
'stocks like NVAX disgust me'
Bman.................are mortgage backed securities an 'asset class' ? what about credit default swaps ?
he got mad like a puss and took his soccer ball home.......holding his breath til you guys talk about him more....LMAOOOOOOOOOO
Bman what are your thoughts on the Aspen ideas festival ?
Bunkerman is the Sharkfolio an asset class?
mortgage-backed securities are just a type of bond, which IS an asset class.
credit defualt swaps -NO
no idea what Aspen ideas festival is - some new dope fest ?
sharkfolio is the product of an ass.
ouch....LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
here comes the cursing and "the tank didnt work for you it works for me" rant
loooool
no cursing today...........yankees play tonite..........so perhaps tomorrow
uhhhh....well..........does this count ?
pierdol sie bob !!!!
PS.........still wanna be friends ?
so does that mean youre cheering for the Yankees?..ya know "bob's" team is Seattle...lol
come on
yankees could be playing al-qaeda and i won't be cheering for them............go get'em osama !!!!
I really think you like em...you watch em more than mikes dad..lol
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