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Coronavirus is wrecking the English language
Thread poster: Tom in London
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
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ProZ.com team
Irony of ironies Mar 25, 2020

The first time I ever posted in this forum – some anodyne little message about reviving the ProZ Facebook group – I received a gruff response from the instigator of this very thread.

It was at that point that a wise colleague within the ProZ.com mothership said to me: "I see you've been tominlondonned."

Surely the verb to end all verbs?


Thomas T. Frost
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Lingua 5B
Christopher Schröder
Richard Purdom
Fatine Echenique
sam@fr-uk
 
MollyRose
MollyRose  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:49
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to Lingua Mar 25, 2020

Right. I gave the two examples because I think it would be two words in either case. Joining them as "anymore" seems strange to me and I don't know why they would be together in any context.

 
MollyRose
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Ha, ha, Mervyn! Mar 25, 2020

"So I thought to myself, Better not write any more anymore. No more, I resolved. Then again, it would never occur to me to write "nomore". Gofigure."


My sentiments exactly. Except that I am not resolved to combine the two words yet.


Mervyn Henderson (X)
 
Lingua 5B
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Determiner and adverb. Mar 25, 2020

MollyRose wrote:

Right. I gave the two examples because I think it would be two words in either case. Joining them as "anymore" seems strange to me and I don't know why they would be together in any context.


According to the source below it's correct as one word only when functioning as adverb in US English:

Especially in American English, any more, as an adverb, can be written as one word, anymore:

He doesn’t cycle anymore.


Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/any-more-or-anymore


Michele Fauble
 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:49
French to English
. Mar 25, 2020

I really hope Tom does not stop posting on the forum. He contributes interesting discussion topics, and we can accommodate all sorts of opinions here, especially in such stressful times.

[Edited at 2020-03-25 22:02 GMT]


Thomas T. Frost
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Jocelyne Cuenin
 
MollyRose
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Thanks, Lingua Mar 25, 2020

So as an adverb it can be written either way. Yippee! I won´t correct anybody's "anymore" any more, but I can still write "any more" if I so desire (for the sake of not ending a sentence with a preposion--if I want to).

Rules are good, to avoid chaos and facilitate understanding, but sometimes they get in the way.


 
Richard Purdom
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The notion that anything is gained by fixing a language in a groove is cherished only by pedants Mar 25, 2020

Language is a living thing owned by the sum of its users.
It's a work in progress Tom, and there ain't no proper way, just that which comes over as authentic.
Social distancing is an extremely useful verb at the moment, so embrace it. I believe the alternative is to 'keep a distance of one dead relative stretched out on the ground between you and others', which is maybe not the way 2 go.


Andrew Morris
Kay Denney
Michele Fauble
 
Lingua 5B
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Also odd situation in world history. Mar 25, 2020

We are experiencing a thing that will surely be in history school books in year 3056 and they will describe what we were doing as "social distancing" as the term was used while it was happening (no re-coining in 3056, won't be possible as it must be described with the term used at that particular moment in history).

Odd situation = a slightly odd term. Where is the problem?


Andrew Morris
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Richard Purdom
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
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Echoing Elizabeth ... Mar 26, 2020

... I've agreed, and I agree. Don't stop posting, Tom. I'm serious. You think I'm wrong sometimes and you think I'm a stirrer, and I think you're wrong sometimes and I think you're a stirrer, but if we all think the same, then nobody thinks too much. So let's all think and think and think, and then think again, and maybe all our thinks will lead to a big, useful think to think our way out of this.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, that "think" should be a "thought", but
... See more
... I've agreed, and I agree. Don't stop posting, Tom. I'm serious. You think I'm wrong sometimes and you think I'm a stirrer, and I think you're wrong sometimes and I think you're a stirrer, but if we all think the same, then nobody thinks too much. So let's all think and think and think, and then think again, and maybe all our thinks will lead to a big, useful think to think our way out of this.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, that "think" should be a "thought", but think about this: if we put all our thinks down here, then I think that all the time you're thinking about what I think and all the time I'm thinking about what you think, we don't think about other nasty things we could be thinking about in these difficult times. I think I've made my thoughts clear. We'd better think:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vet6AHmq3_s


And get that cat on duty again. All this lying around on the bed all day isn't going to help.

[Edited at 2020-03-26 15:14 GMT]
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Elizabeth Tamblin
Emily Gilby
Andrew Morris
Kevin Fulton
 
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 17:49
ProZ.com team
There's always room for a new verb Mar 26, 2020

Not sure whether it would be "to mervyn" or "to henderson".

Either way, what would be the dictionary definition?


 
Lingua 5B
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Deep insights. Mar 26, 2020

Andrew Morris wrote:

Not sure whether it would be "to mervyn" or "to henderson".

Either way, what would be the dictionary definition?


You need very deep insights into something to provide a definition. We only know our Mervyn's forum personality, not enough data. LOL

to mervyn, v.intrs.
to be playful with words with an original sense of humor


There's a reason I chose it be an intransitive verb. Can't share details.


Andrew Morris
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
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Hmm ... Mar 26, 2020

Well, that’s a toughie, Andrew. The verb is actually “to mervynhenderson”. Like the other one, it takes an extra N in the participle, mervynhendersonned, in order to maintain the more open O sound, naturally. Unlike "to harveyweinstein", which simply changes to "harveyweinsteined" because the vowel sound would not change anyway, as in “My boss knew I was totally dependent on this job, and so he harveyweinsteined me on a constant basis for years.”

There are many other examp
... See more
Well, that’s a toughie, Andrew. The verb is actually “to mervynhenderson”. Like the other one, it takes an extra N in the participle, mervynhendersonned, in order to maintain the more open O sound, naturally. Unlike "to harveyweinstein", which simply changes to "harveyweinsteined" because the vowel sound would not change anyway, as in “My boss knew I was totally dependent on this job, and so he harveyweinsteined me on a constant basis for years.”

There are many other examples: “Do you know, he could tell me what time it is, and I wouldn’t believe him, he’s donaldtrumped me so much.”

Or: “I think my wife’s going nuts. She lies down in the aisle at the cinema and does her yoga during the film, she smears garlic and lemon juice over my toast, and says she’s going to get some jade eggs for her uterus. It’s like she’s been gwynethpaltrowed or something.”

As for the definition of “to mervynhenderson” – it means to pursue excellence, to take the serious seriously and take the unserious unseriously, to do unto others as one would have them do unto oneself, and aspire to live and love comfortably and get away with it.” It’s complicated.


[Edited at 2020-03-26 12:46 GMT]
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Andrew Morris
Zibow Retailleau
Christopher Schröder
 
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 17:49
ProZ.com team
A stray vowel? Mar 26, 2020

Love that definition. And totally agree on the double "n".

But surely "unto others"?

"Onto" others sounds rather uncomfortable.


Mervyn Henderson (X)
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
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Spain
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Oh, all right then Mar 26, 2020

I've edited it now to "unto". Anything for that pursoot of excellence I mentioned earlier.

 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:49
French to English
. Mar 26, 2020

MollyRose wrote:

I don't know of any case where the two words joined would be grammatically correct. Wouldn't it have to be describing a noun? Or maybe they decided to join the two words in the U.S. and not in the U.K.? Anybody know?


I first noticed North Americans writing "anymore" and decided it must be an Americanism. But Word now underlines "any more" and tells me it should be one word even though I have everything tuned to British spelling. This is like the -isation/-ization thing all over again. (I learned at school that either spelling was possible, then Word tells me the z version is only used in the US not in the UK.)

I'm all for language evolving, and have no problems with any of the stuff that TiL rants about here, but it does bug me that some guy in Seattle gets to decide how I'm supposed to write in British English.


Tom in London
Andrew Morris
Philip Lees
 
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Coronavirus is wrecking the English language






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