destructio linguae anglicae

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » General Topics » Q&A about words » destructio linguae anglicae

Page 1 of 3

Topic Options

#159464 - 05/06/06 11:09 AM destructio linguae anglicae
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3268 Loc: R'lyeh	Can you believe that there are ignoramuses (aside--since ignoramus is a Latin verb 'we ignore', you cannot form its plural in the Latin mode by using -i, but you knew that) who think that gifted is a proper word? (Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?) Feh! the destruction of our sweet tongue is complete. The past participle gifted pressuposes that disgusting verbed noun to gift. Yeesh! How could anybody utter this abomination? "Suzie Creamcheese is a gifted student." O tempores, o mores. I do not care that gift has been a verb since the 16th century, or that gifted has been around since a century later. This is grammar, damn it!, and not history. Those who use gifted are driving a solecistic stake through the heart of our Mother Tongue. _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Top

#159465 - 05/06/06 11:55 AM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13653	I couldn't fail to disagree with you less!!! An aside: If ignoramus is from the Latin for 'we ignore' isn't it already plural? Shouldn't the singular be ignoro?
Top

#159466 - 05/06/06 12:17 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3268 Loc: R'lyeh	I couldn't fail to disagree with you less!!! Three excalmation points, and a frownie face. Ma che sciagura. An aside: If ignoramus is from the Latin for 'we ignore' isn't it already plural? Shouldn't the singular be ignoro? Ah, you've run rings around me logically! I shall follow your rules ad astera per mingere. Edited by zmjezhd (05/06/06 12:25 PM) _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
Top

#159467 - 05/06/06 12:23 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
Capital Kiwi Carpal Tunnel Registered: 11/13/00 Posts: 3146 Loc: Northamptonshire, England	Quote: Can you believe that there are ignoramuses (aside--since ignoramus is a Latin verb 'we ignore', you cannot form its plural in the Latin mode by using -i, but you knew that) who think that gifted is a proper word? (Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?) Feh! the destruction of our sweet tongue is complete. The past participle gifted pressuposes that disgusting verbed noun to gift. Yeesh! How could anybody utter this abomination? "Suzie Creamcheese is a gifted student." O tempores, o mores. I do not care that gift has been a verb since the 16th century, or that gifted has been around since a century later. This is grammar, damn it!, and not history. Those who use gifted are driving a solecistic stake through the heart of our Mother Tongue. Ah, I come back to the board after a reasonably long absence and find this. Marvellous stuff! _________________________ The idiot also known as Capfka ...
Top

#159468 - 05/07/06 06:35 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/24/02 Posts: 7184 Loc: Vermont	> ignoro now that's a moniker for a superhero! _________________________ formerly known as etaoin...
Top

#159469 - 05/07/06 08:33 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel Registered: 07/17/00 Posts: 3467 Loc: Marion NC	And a stake through the heart of the tongue. WOW! Didst thou mean that the stake through the heart was the solecism or was there some other referrent there? All seriousness aside, I have to register my disagreement with your screed. Indeed, the use of gifted as meaning endowed with a special talent is well-settled in the English language. I doubt that even an ignoramus, which I do not consider myself, would be unaware of what it means. And I certainly would use it unreservedly. Does that make me an ignoramus? I think not. _________________________ TEd
Top

#159470 - 05/07/06 09:02 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
Elizabeth Creith addict Registered: 03/22/05 Posts: 500 Loc: Northern Ontario, Canada	Like TEd, I have no trouble with the word "gifted" to mean someone who is exceptionally talented. I DO take exception to its use to mean "gave". "Christmas gifting" is a particularly annoying phrase. What the h-e-double-toothpicks was wrong with "giving"?
Top

#159471 - 05/07/06 09:13 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
themilum veteran Registered: 05/25/02 Posts: 1529 Loc: Aladamnbama the most watered s...	Quote: Like TEd, I have no trouble with the word "gifted" to mean someone who is exceptionally talented. I DO take exception to its use to mean "gave". "Christmas gifting" is a particularly annoying phrase. What the h-e-double-toothpicks was wrong with "giving"? The answer is quite simple. You and tED and Faldage like meaning over structure, and zmjezhd and Capital Kiwi like structure over meaning. I'm with you and tED and Faldage. Edited by themilum (05/07/06 09:16 PM)
Top

#159472 - 05/07/06 09:36 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
sjmaxq Carpal Tunnel Registered: 07/20/03 Posts: 3230 Loc: Te Ika a Maui	Was uncle JB serious, or was his surprisingly prescriptivist tirade a little leg-pull? _________________________ noho ora mai http://maxqnzs.com/References.html
Top

#159473 - 05/07/06 10:19 PM Re: destructio linguae anglicae
of troy Carpal Tunnel Registered: 10/17/00 Posts: 5400 Loc: rego park	oh, i guess regifted is way beyond the pale.. like "i already had a george forman grill, so i regifted it to my DIL" (its convenient that my birthday comes before mother's day.) _________________________ my other obsession
Top

Page 1 of 3

Previous Topic

Index

Next Topic

Moderator: Jackie

Newest Members

Stephen A, fgjhgjk, Nora Francis, sabosophie, Lore Lorena
8419 Registered Users

Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.


	Wordsmith Talk		About Us \| What's New \| Search \| Site Map \| Contact Us

Wordsmith Talk