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Page 3 of 3 < 1 2 3 Topic Options #114974 - 11/05/03 08:07 AM Re: But... maahey addict Registered: 12/03/02 Posts: 555 I believe we would all agree that the formal/correct way is, 'bachelor of' or 'master of', and over time, we have discarded the 'of' for a possessive, - bachelor's or master's, for convenience. Would it therefore be a singular possessive or a plural possessive? IMHO, it would be the plural, since the degree by its very name, draws attention to the collective profile of the persons who are obtaining such a qualification, in this case, bachelors. By such a reasoning, the usage must have shifted to bachelors', and it was but a matter of time from thereon, to drop the increasingly vestigeal looking apostrophe. Top #114975 - 11/05/03 10:20 AM Re: In Chicago, they say ... musick Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/24/00 Posts: 2661 Loc: Chicago I have no authority for this preference save my ear. The tool of choice for preferences, methinks. Top #114976 - 11/05/03 02:48 PM The role of ear in language Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA Many years ago, when learning the Korean language, I would phrase a sentence in a way which conformed with all of the rules of construction with which I was familiar. Native Korean speakers would laugh and say "We don't say it that way." When I sought yet another rule to add to my collection, they would respond "It just doesn't sound right." Immersion is the only way to acquire language proficiency beyond what is available in textbooks. This explains why small children who move to the Colonies, speaking not one word of English, acquire "better" English than do their parents, who learn the language from books. Top #114977 - 11/18/03 01:53 PM baccalaureate degree AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 6511 Loc: lower upstate New York That's what Cornell Univ. calls it. Top Page 3 of 3 < 1 2 3 Previous Topic Index Next Topic Preview Hop to: General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) ------   Words from medicine   Beheading words   Meta-words   Words from classical mythology   Animal Safari   Words with unusual etymologies   Eponyms or words derived from people's names.   Loanwords from German   English as a global language Moderator:  Jackie  Print Topic Switch to Threaded Mode View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts Forum Stats 8947 Members 16 Forums 13866 Topics 222213 Posts Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM Newest Members michor, Daksh1, geoffhargreaves, Guadalupe, may2point0 8947 Registered Users Who's Online 0 registered (), 40 Guests and 6 Spiders online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters (30 Days) wofahulicodoc 65 LukeJavan8 53 may2point0 19 Tromboniator 3 geoffhargreaves 1 jheem 1 Top Posters wwh 13858 Faldage 13803 Jackie 11613 tsuwm 10538 LukeJavan8 8438 Buffalo Shrdlu 7210 wofahulicodoc 6799 AnnaStrophic 6511 Wordwind 6296 of troy 5400

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