With mansuetude (compossible with my muliebrity), I condemn those niddering, olid morons who, in caliginosity of understanding, vilipend our English by attempting to exuviate words for which they cannot see any present custom. It is apodeictic that, while perhaps obscure, words like "skirr" and "periapt" serve uniquely expressive purposes and cannot be subrogated by other, more commonplace words. The attitude that words may be discarded -- indeed, that words have caducity at all -- is not salubriously abstergent, but reflects an agrestic nisus that all cultivated English speakers must eschew. At its heart, this attitude embrangles the concepts of "need" and "want"; those fubsy fuddy-duddies with griseous imaginations believe that words no longer in frequent use will never in the future be needed by English speakers and writers more nitid than themselves. Old words must not be treated like recrement!
You may see my attitude as defensive and oppugnant, but I vaticinate further derogation of our incomparable tongue should such complots be permitted to unfold without denunciation. And I think I'll just stick with the good old OED from now on.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
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9 comments:
They need to "make room" for 2000 new entries? What's that all about?
I don't think that words should be discarded simply because they have not seen active duty in a while! They are still words with meanings! That's like saying, I'm going to dynamite this perfectly livable building simply because no one has lived in it for 100 years! The building (like the words) can always be reused/rehabilitated. As you have done just now with your blog!!!
That's just like American culture. Let's discard it, because we haven't used it in a while, and replace it with something new, although this thing is still perfectly usable!
TNT
I would buy the "Wordsmithery" T-shirt to aid in forwarding the cause.
George Orwell waves and says "Hi"
I just wrote to them, pointing out that Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, The Brontes', Dickins, and Shakespeare used many of these words in works that are still in print.
I stand in awe of your prose.
Heh. Indeed.
I am with TNT; those rich and delicious words must not be discarded! Those who are acting such? I shout at them: PUNK RAMPANT!!
heck, lets not take away the GRE's material....
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