Re: accents

From: Peter T. Daniels (grammatim_at_worldnet.att.net)
Date: 03/29/05 

Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:51:40 GMT

Iain wrote:

> Standard Written English has scarcely evolved at all since it ended its
> function as a method of medieval sound recording, but spoken English
> hath.

You are mistaken, sir.

> Don't you think that if Standard Written English didn't exist, spoken
> English would have evolved further beyond recognition? Or perhaps the
> "recognition" in question is provided by writing.
>
> Writing is an axiom reminder than the /t/ sound at the end of "chased"
> has the same semantic function as a written "-ed" -- our mental image
> of the "-ed" distinguishes "chased" from "chaste" in our minds.

And the millions of illiterate English-speakers aren't aware of that?

> I always feel, when listening to linguists, that they underestimate how
> integral text is to spoken English. Even an illiterate person may be
> speaking a language kept in check by writing, via school curricula,
> publishers, etc.

You are mistaken, sir.

> > In classic times the written language was often seen as most
> > important, but modern lingists make the same mistake in the other
> > direction.
>
> By "classical times" do you mean millenia ago? What evidence do you
> have for that attitude? Wasn't it Plato who said we ken how to read
> once we've learnt the alphabet?

It was Plato (or Socrates) who was deeply suspicious of written
language, saying that it would destroy the art of memory.

And check the etymology of <millennium>. 

-- 
Peter T. Daniels                       grammatim@att.net