Has anyone typed in 'information' and looked for synonyms in MS Word (Up to 2003 which I use in office)?It gives you 'In a row', 'In sequence' and similar crap...
Have you noticed how they're "simplifying" English? You don't hear words like pled and sped anymore in the news. Instead they say pleaded and speeded. I'm sure this makes it easier for those learning English, but I like the elegance of the older words. In the examples given in the article, dove would be replaced with dived. I haven't heard anyone use sleeped or readed yet, but I think that would be taking things too far!
"English is a pain in the ass, no doubt about it. If it had been in Latin I'm sure we've have no problems at all."Totally untrue. Although Latin's extensive use of inflection would make it easier to compose a search such as the one you describe above, there are words that encompass multiple genders or persons. Off the top of my head, trying to distinguish between the nominative noun 'liber' (book) and the nominative adjective 'liber' (free) would be just as impossible. Also, the feminine nominative singular demonstrative 'haec' (this) is identical to the neuter nominative/accusative plural 'haec' (these). Latin's pretty good at distinguishing between these types of ambiguities, but it's hardly perfect.(And before anyone wants to argue that 'liber' (free) has a macron over the 'i,' that's a totally arbitrary orthographical convention--the same kind of thing that the list in the Oddities of English exploits).
noahhowardMar 4, 2007
What is tricky about that one? Is it just that row isn't commonly used to mean argument anymore?
cjmemayMar 4, 2007
Sorry to be a party pooper but English orthography != English language.Additionally, every language (not just English) has synonyms, homonyms, etc.
Closed AccountMar 4, 2007
Has anyone typed in 'information' and looked for synonyms in MS Word (Up to 2003 which I use in office)?It gives you 'In a row', 'In sequence' and similar crap...
raindogmxMar 4, 2007
Those are not exclusive of english. All languages have them! And yes they're funny.
Closed AccountMar 4, 2007
We don't have buffalo in the U.S. Buffalo are indigenous to Africa. We have *bison*.
quakerortsMar 4, 2007
Have you noticed how they're "simplifying" English? You don't hear words like pled and sped anymore in the news. Instead they say pleaded and speeded. I'm sure this makes it easier for those learning English, but I like the elegance of the older words. In the examples given in the article, dove would be replaced with dived. I haven't heard anyone use sleeped or readed yet, but I think that would be taking things too far!
drmickheadMar 5, 2007
"English is a pain in the ass, no doubt about it. If it had been in Latin I'm sure we've have no problems at all."Totally untrue. Although Latin's extensive use of inflection would make it easier to compose a search such as the one you describe above, there are words that encompass multiple genders or persons. Off the top of my head, trying to distinguish between the nominative noun 'liber' (book) and the nominative adjective 'liber' (free) would be just as impossible. Also, the feminine nominative singular demonstrative 'haec' (this) is identical to the neuter nominative/accusative plural 'haec' (these). Latin's pretty good at distinguishing between these types of ambiguities, but it's hardly perfect.(And before anyone wants to argue that 'liber' (free) has a macron over the 'i,' that's a totally arbitrary orthographical convention--the same kind of thing that the list in the Oddities of English exploits).
skepticjokerMar 5, 2007
The english language itself is quite messed up. MilitAry and Documentary.....it doesn't make sense!
drsnooksMar 5, 2007
On a related note - why is dyslexia so hard to spell? Hardly seems fair...
arthereNov 18, 2009
Interesting very interesting am i doing it right?<a class="user" href="http://www.zses.com/hubpages.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.zses.com/hubpages.html</a>