Spelling - phonetic or actual

singist · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:15

I think that Zip getting involved in this is quite amusing ......... no offense Zip

but some of your contributions in the past have been ....... erm, how shall I put it .......... less than perfect; considering that your native language is English ( I think).

Gilly · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:16

sniffy said:
No I didn't. I said how phonetic spelling looks dumb; I just mentioned I did it as a child when I couldn't spell the word. There's a difference mate. Please highlight the spelling mistakes in "I only done it as a child" anyway. I pronounce turned as "turnt" as I'm southern, it's simply slang. I shouldn't use slang when it gives people like you ammunition I guess. Regardless, I hadn't said that before Gilly came out with his remark so that bares no meaning.

Please tell me exactly what was child like in my original post Gilly.

I really need to beat this home it seems.

I didn't call you a child

I'm absolutely amazed that you don't see the irony in you complaining about how dumb poor post structure looks, whilst employing poor sentence building yourself. More than once in this very thread.

Zip · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:17

singist said:
I think that Zip getting involved in this is quite amusing ......... no offense Zip but some of your contributions in the past have been ....... erm, how shall I put it .......... less than perfect; considering that your native language is English ( I think).

I knew you would have something to say

Woo!!! No mistakes

sniffy · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:18

Gilly said:
you complaining about how dumb poor post structure looks

LOL.

Please quote the post I said that in Gilly.

Bar · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:19

sniffy I believe the reference is in regards to "done" as opposed to "did" which would have been the right tense to use.

This thread was not meant to be about spelling or text speak or l33t speak as such, more about the perceived increase in phonetic spelling.

I believe people attempting words that they would not normally use to be encouraged even if it is phonetic (although I would always kindly point out the correct spelling).

Slang is slang but when using the written word surely local dialects and slang become removed. There is the odd exception but it merely reminds me personally of the chavesque postings as seen on a lot of boy racer type websites.

Spelling mistakes are always forgivable when they are as a result of a genuine mistake or "dyslexic" fingers. When it is pure laziness there really is very little in the way of excuse.

Gilly · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:20

sniffy said:
LOL.

Please quote the post I said that in Gilly.

I didn't quote you specifically because you didn't say those actual words. You were talking about employing different spelling.

In case you hadn't realised, that is a main component of post structure.

Spuderoony · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:23

Gilly said:
Not only are we seeing more people using more text-based communication methods these days

Do you have any statistics to back that up? The abundant hand-written letters of 50 years ago were still text-based...

Freefaller said:
No it's not. It's the regression of the English language really.

The idea of 'regression' is laughable. The English language, and language in general, exists to serve a purpose. A communicative need. As the need varies, and the form of communication used is usually context dependent, different forms of language evolve according to different standards. Whilst there is still a need for Standard English it will remain, no matter how hard the text generation tries.

Do you realise how many thousands of times that fantastically gifted linguistics, anthropologists and social commentators throughout the ages have called the latest linguistic tried "symptomatic of the downfall of modern society" or some variant thereof? Swings and roundabouts.

Gilly · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:24

Spuderoony said:
Do you have any statistics to back that up? The abundant hand-written letters of 50 years ago were still text-based...

I think its frequency more than anything, and no I don't but I figured it was a given.

Do you think there were more letters written/read per day 50 years ago than there are posts written on forums, comments written on message boards and further comments written in chatrooms and all of these read per day today?

SpicyDuck · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:25

Bar said:
Slang is slang but when using the written word surely local dialects and slang become removed. There is the odd exception but it merely reminds me personally of the chavesque postings as seen on a lot of boy racer type websites.

Absolutely right. Spoken word with a local dialect or accent is acceptable, but all of that does not apply to written word except when the writing is clearly written in and intended to be colloquial.

Which means, in Sniffys' case, his usage of "done" instead of "did" is wrong.

Bar · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:27

Novels are an ideal example of when local dialect should be used as it is central to the story - any of Irvine Welsh's books for example.

Also a lot of poems would not sound the same unless spoken using the local dialect.

singist · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:29

AND that's another thing!

Why do people get so defensive, arguing black is white etc when they are clearly wrong (spelling and stuff) ...... surely we can all accept a little ribbing regarding spelling etc and not get into a hissy fit trying to justify things?

Seems not ....

Peace on all ......... or was that **** on all?

Glaucus · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:30

singist said:
Yeah, that's another little gem of an excuse .... " it's evolving " ........ sure it is!

The english language always has and always will evolve, I said I don't like text speak, other than in txt messages. Just look at all the new words and slang words added to the dictionary every year..

SpicyDuck · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:32

Gilly said:
Do you think there were more letters written/read per day 50 years ago than there are posts written on forums, comments written on message boards and further comments written in chatrooms and all of these read per day today?

I'm not sure whether it matters about the situation now or then. I think the main problem is the quality and standard of the text. If less was read/written 50 years ago, it was probably all of a much higher standard than today.

The average chavs daily read will be a MySpace blog full of crappy English, which then goes on to promote this non-standard form of our language.

Gilly · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:33

I'm sure it was a higher standard. That was the point I was making

SpicyDuck · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:34

AcidHell2 said:
The english language always has and always will evolve, I said I don't like text speak, other than in txt messages. Just look at all the new words and slang words added to the dictionary every year..

Nah, that's just colloquial speech growing outside of its intended dialect and, thus, no longer being a local "variation", yet a national standard.

Glaucus · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:37

OvertoneBliss said:
Nah, that's just colloquial speech growing outside of its intended dialect and, thus, no longer being a local "variation", yet a national standard.

so you'r saying the English language is not evolving? Take a book from 50 years ago and read it, then take a book from today and read it. Even over that short time period you can tell the diffrence.

Also totaly agree with the reading. If people read more and from proper sources, I recon grammer and spelling would improve a lot. Doesn't seem to work for me though

SpicyDuck · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:41

AcidHell2 said:
so you'r saying the English language is not evolving? Take a book from 50 years ago and read it, then take a book from today and read it. Even over that short time period you can tell the diffrence.

No, I just gave an example proving that English is, as you suggest, evolving.

Of course it's evolving. Every aspect of life evolves. Language, government, attitudes etc. You have proven a point, but not all evolution is good, and the direction that English seems to be going in, (in terms of text speak) is very bad.

I doubt it'll become a standard as most people will (read: should) grow out of it.

Zip · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:42

If the language didnt change we might all still be talking like shakespeare :eek:

Thou commeth withit thee and i shou set you free(or something like that type of talking

)

Lopéz · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:45

Zip said:
Thou commeth withit thee and i shou set you free

I tried reading that in my head in an Australian accent.

Nope, not possible

SpicyDuck · 6 Jul 2006 at 19:57

Lopéz said:
I tried reading that in my head in an Australian accent.

Nope, not possible

Now you have me trying!