>>Date: Mon, 10 Oct 94 10:03:34 -0700
>>From: Eugene Hunn <hunn at u.washington.edu>
>
>>On another issue of language: I have noticed a tendency (which I find
>>slightly irritating) to leave of the "-s" in pluralizing bird names
>>.. What do you all think?
>
>What!???!! Our American English is evolving (devolving? revolving?) right
>under this anthropologist's linguistic nose (huh?), and he's "irritated"?
>
>I say "Five lash for you!"
>Peter

Although I know Peter's reply is (entirely?) facetious, I can only
sympathize with Gene: where do we draw the line between evolving language
and "poor" usage (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, syntax, spelling)? I
don't consider this a trivial question, as I have to face it constantly in
grading papers and reviewing manuscripts, not to mention listening to my
friends talk and monitoring my own participation in the world of
communication. I'm sure Peter's not arguing for an abandonment of
standards, but if nouns are usually followed by an "s" to indicate plural,
then I'm not willing to accept a deviation just in the course of evolving
language. I've often thought that the lack of that "s" indicated
affectation, actually (prejudice revealed).

Oops, here we go talking about things non-avian again. Mea culpa, but what
the heck.


Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound email: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416