Chris,
As I said, the regularization of verb endings has been going on for
centuries. I have nothing at all against the process. I only wondered
aloud, as I've wondered for a long time, if Hemingway's story had any
influence on the p.p. of "light." Probably, it didn't. I agree with you
entirely about the difference between evolutionary change and corruption.
Believe me, I struggled for many years to enlighten young people. I doubt
that any teacher can have much influence, though. The problem is that our
young don't read as much--and don't read worthwhile writing--as people did
before the advent of the tube. And reading the language as it is used by
good writers is the best way to learn acceptable usage and a broad and
useful vocabulary. When language as it is used on TV and in other popular
media is the greatest influence, as it has been for half a century now, it's
no wonder our youth butcher the language as they do. (For that matter, few
adults even bat an eye anymore at the use of "like" as a verbal space bar,
like "uh"; nor do most people give a rip whether "It's I" or "It's me" is
correct.) So the best way for us to "educate our young citizens properly"
is to turn off the TV and put a good book in their hands. If you have any
success at doing that, let me know :>}.
Regards,
John
John
Aceptablility is for the reader or listener as far I am concerned.
A language that lives and changes is one thing, but one that is
corrupted and which loses its richness solely because we (in
whichever country) do not educate our young citizens properly on what
is accepted *now* is to me an ugly thing.
I don't believe that we could do anything but accept Hemingway's
artistry as a rich and attractive way to change our language. I
would not resent or resist change from such a quarter.
Chris
>verb. That's still the way I use it. The same thing has happened with
>other words, through usage. And then there's the matter of past tense and
>past participles regularization: the past participle of "light" used to be
>"lit." Now, because of the tendancy to regularize verb endings--which has
>been going on for centuries--"lighted" has become more and more common as
>the past participle during my lifetime. I wonder if this all started with
>Hemingway's "A Clean, Well Lighted Place."
--
___________
fff>-}
C M I Barker
Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, Great Britain
mailto:imagopus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:chris_barker@xxxxxxxxx
YaC tel: +44 (0)7092 251126
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