Should some spellings be removed?

[Versuvius]

I would love to hear you pronounce them, I don't mean record yourself for this exact purpose but just in general life. Record yourself saying these words in normal conversations and listen to them back, I can pretty much guarantee that unless you are rubbing elbows with the queen of England that you will pronounce every were, there and which all the same way.

Where rhymes with air, were rhymes with slur, and we're rhymes with peer. If you are saying them all in the same way, then there are a lot of people who are going to be trying not to piss themselves laughing every time you open your mouth.

OT: They're written differently so we can understand what you're saying.

Nope, I have moved around and no matter where I hear it, it always sounds the same. Unless I hear some American actor trying to do a British accent then I always hear "were" said the same, as you put it the one that rhymes with peer.

Although to me air and slur rhyme...

Then perhaps your own accent is interfering with speech but the rules for speech and written language are different. It is not the languages fault in this case, it is yours. Do something about it or deal with it, not make us all stoop down to the same level of grunting onto paper with ink.

 

[omega 616]

I would love to hear you pronounce them, I don't mean record yourself for this exact purpose but just in general life. Record yourself saying these words in normal conversations and listen to them back, I can pretty much guarantee that unless you are rubbing elbows with the queen of England that you will pronounce every were, there and which all the same way.

Where rhymes with air, were rhymes with slur, and we're rhymes with peer. If you are saying them all in the same way, then there are a lot of people who are going to be trying not to piss themselves laughing every time you open your mouth.

OT: They're written differently so we can understand what you're saying.

Nope, I have moved around and no matter where I hear it, it always sounds the same. Unless I hear some American actor trying to do a British accent then I always hear "were" said the same, as you put it the one that rhymes with peer.

Although to me air and slur rhyme...

Well then I recommend a speech coach.

It's the scouse accent, it's not great.

Sure lets make it easier rather than educating people. That's the problem with everything these days, rather than trying to fucking educate themselves people demand things are made easier. If people want to look like a moron on the internet let them, I just can't wait for them to try that shit on a job application or university report.

Then lets let language stagnate and not change it out of fear that it may be "dumbing" it down. Well, it already has changed a lot so lets go back to it's original form?

I would love to hear you pronounce them, I don't mean record yourself for this exact purpose but just in general life. Record yourself saying these words in normal conversations and listen to them back, I can pretty much guarantee that unless you are rubbing elbows with the queen of England that you will pronounce every were, there and which all the same way.

Where rhymes with air, were rhymes with slur, and we're rhymes with peer. If you are saying them all in the same way, then there are a lot of people who are going to be trying not to piss themselves laughing every time you open your mouth.

OT: They're written differently so we can understand what you're saying.

Nope, I have moved around and no matter where I hear it, it always sounds the same. Unless I hear some American actor trying to do a British accent then I always hear "were" said the same, as you put it the one that rhymes with peer.

Although to me air and slur rhyme...

Then perhaps your own accent is interfering with speech but the rules for speech and written language are different. It is not the languages fault in this case, it is yours. Do something about it or deal with it, not make us all stoop down to the same level of grunting onto paper with ink.

Go and read the other 5 or 6 posts that I have written that say that it is just a topic to discuss, something to think about. nothing more.

Running out of ways to make this more clear ...

 

[Joos]

No. Evolution is good, devolution is bad.

I wouldn't mind if someone remove Tori Spelling, but that's it pretty much it.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Okay, 4 tones and neutral. It's been years since I learnt Chinese, I can't remember any of it. Whoops.
That just emphasises my point, though.

Heh... no sweat, I was going to make a jibe at even that! I'm a Cantonese speaker, so we've got eight intonations... -_-

 

[Woodsey]

Sure lets make it easier rather than educating people. That's the problem with everything these days, rather than trying to fucking educate themselves people demand things are made easier. If people want to look like a moron on the internet let them, I just can't wait for them to try that shit on a job application or university report.

Then lets let language stagnate and not change it out of fear that it may be "dumbing" it down. Well, it already has changed a lot so lets go back to it's original form?

As someone else has already pointed out, language evolves on its own, it doesn't need an active cull to take place that's just going to leave people confused.

 

[Versuvius]

The english language evolves over time, slowly as what is required or needed of it changes, not by some lazy fucks attempts to make everyone WRITE like they do. Accents are accounted for, even generates their OWN written words and variations on, which by all means, write and spell how the fuck you want but do not go through the fupping dictionary and wipe your arse with it because...well, you feel that your own terrible accent homogenises certain groups of words and everyone should do the same.

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

Because removing such creates ambiguities in the language?

This.

If we just had 'were' as a cover all word for where, were, we're etc, it would be confusing as hell.

Allow me to illustrate.
Spelled correctly:
"We're where we were."

Now with 'were' pulling double duty:
"Were were we were."

 

[omega 616]

The english language evolves over time, slowly as what is required or needed of it changes, not by some lazy fucks attempts to make everyone WRITE like they do. Accents are accounted for, even generates their OWN written words and variations on, which by all means, write and spell how the fuck you want but do not go through the fupping dictionary and wipe your arse with it because...well, you feel that your own terrible accent homogenises certain groups of words and everyone should do the same.

Who knew so many people would get so pissed about words, as Peter Kay would say "it's like I came into your house on Christmas and pissed on your presents". Calm down, it's not like you wrote the dictionary or anything. I just wanted something new to be discussed, rather than the other 50 topic that fly through the off topic section ... no need to get personal.

Although since we are being picky and saying I am wiping my arse with the dictionary, it's spelt "homogenizes".

 

[Versuvius]

I do get pissed about words, i am a grammar nazi when i'm not fucking up myself and i am a literary pedant. I dislike it when people want to do what CoD did to the industry do the language. Americanisms are bad enough

I have a CoD hate quota to fill. I will laugh at people having a dig at me about it. Fair warning

 

[Skoosh]

The video isn't supporting your argument. He's talking against people that are adamant about a grammar that was abandoned before they were born, like ending a sentence on a preposition or the difference between "fewer" and "less." There's a huge difference between subtle changes in an ever-evolving language and completely destroying the most basic of words. Saying "there beign rediculous" is not what the video you linked was defending.

Getting too caught up in rules and such can be restrictive, but you should be able to tell the difference between words that have different spelling, pronunciations, and meanings (where, were, we're? REALLY?). Spelling shouldn't be a problem either, almost every browser and word processor corrects tell you when you're wrong. You have to go out of your way to misspell most words. It's ridiculous.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

"I don't like having to remember how to spell properly and communicate easily, so no one else should have to, either."

 

[omega 616]

Sure lets make it easier rather than educating people. That's the problem with everything these days, rather than trying to fucking educate themselves people demand things are made easier. If people want to look like a moron on the internet let them, I just can't wait for them to try that shit on a job application or university report.

Then lets let language stagnate and not change it out of fear that it may be "dumbing" it down. Well, it already has changed a lot so lets go back to it's original form?

As someone else has already pointed out, language evolves on its own, it doesn't need an active cull to take place that's just going to leave people confused.

I wasn't saying to do such a thing, I was saying that I suggested a topic to be discussed and all I have gotten is "your stupid", even you posted something that could be taken as aggressive "Well then I recommend a speech coach." . If we constantly say "no, that's wrong" and correcting it/maintaining it then it will never evolve.

Like in that vid I posted in the OP, if you started saying "actioning" people would say "that's not a word!" but that's how words like "tabled" started, right? I am not saying we should start saying actioning or that we shouldn't, just why be so strict about it?

Just like how I read somewhere that humans have removed themselves from evolution with all our drugs and health care.

 

[Alrocsmash]

Get smarter...problem solved.

Isn't being intelligent wonderful?

 

[ntw3001]

The english language evolves over time, slowly as what is required or needed of it changes, not by some lazy fucks attempts to make everyone WRITE like they do. Accents are accounted for, even generates their OWN written words and variations on, which by all means, write and spell how the fuck you want but do not go through the fupping dictionary and wipe your arse with it because...well, you feel that your own terrible accent homogenises certain groups of words and everyone should do the same.

This. Well, maybe I'duse a different selection of words, but essentially written and spoken language change at different rates because they're used in different ways. If you want a form of written English that corresponds to changes in spoken English, look at text speak; it's used in a manner similar to spoken English, is subject to the same kinds of pressures, and is perfectly understandable and usable to its intended audience. In the same way, formal spoken English (such as that used in speeches) is more similar to written than conversational English. We're comparing formal written English to informal spoken English. We might as well ask why the Queen doesn't alter her speech to match the type of language used in text messages.

 

[omega 616]

"I don't like having to remember how to spell properly and communicate easily, so no one else should have to, either."

Get smarter...problem solved.

Isn't being intelligent wonderful?

Hey, look everybody! More people who don't get it!"

The video isn't supporting your argument. He's talking against people that are adamant about a grammar that was abandoned before they were born, like ending a sentence on a preposition or the difference between "fewer" and "less." There's a huge difference between subtle changes in an ever-evolving language and completely destroying the most basic of words. Saying "there beign rediculous" is not what the video you linked was defending.

Getting too caught up in rules and such can be restrictive, but you should be able to tell the difference between words that have different spelling, pronunciations, and meanings (where, were, we're? REALLY?). Spelling shouldn't be a problem either, almost every browser and word processor corrects tell you when you're wrong. You have to go out of your way to misspell most words. It's ridiculous.

All I can say is go to 1:44 of that vid if Oscar Wilde can not give a shit about it, then "I will let that which does not matter truly slide" as was said in Fight Club.

 

[DaWaffledude]

Because they're different words. They just look and sound similar.

 

[Blend]

Because removing such creates ambiguities in the language?

This.

If we just had 'were' as a cover all word for where, were, we're etc, it would be confusing as hell.

Would it? I doubt it. You can quite easily distinguish between them in spoken language from the context of which they are used so why not in text?

John and Jill where clothes. John and Jill where at home. Where are John and Jill. Where john and Jill.

Are you telling me these confuse you? That you can't tell what each where supposed to mean?

What about "There ball was there" is that also confusing even though the either there can only have one meaning based on it's context?

Great video really liked it. But completely missing the point if you are trying to use it to justify this nonsense.

I'll leave it at stating the most blatant and glaring reasons of why just no to this.

Where, were and we're are all pronounced differently in spoken language and it's not left up to context to figure it out.

Nuff said.

 

[Keava]

Yes. Let's simplify everything because some people are too lazy to learn basic ideas. Maybe when we're done with were and where we could start eliminating other words. First we will change English into Simple English which only consists of 850 most basic words and then, then we could even return to simpler methods of communication like pictographs so that everyone knows what's up.

No. Sorry. The idea is to get people to use their brains more - not less, else we might just go back to living in the moist cosiness of caves.

 

[ultimateownage]

Okay, 4 tones and neutral. It's been years since I learnt Chinese, I can't remember any of it. Whoops.
That just emphasises my point, though.

Heh... no sweat, I was going to make a jibe at even that! I'm a Cantonese speaker, so we've got eight intonations... -_-

I probably should have specified Mandarin, too. Damn Chinese, why are you so complicated?!

 

[Versuvius]

Yes. Let's simplify everything because some people are too lazy to learn basic ideas. Maybe when we're done with were and where we could start eliminating other words. First we will change English into Simple English which only consists of 850 most basic words and then, then we could even return to simpler methods of communication like pictographs so that everyone knows what's up.

No. Sorry. The idea is to get people to use their brains more - not less, else we might just go back to living in the moist cosiness of caves.

The next logical step is to have a piece of paper, on it is a picture of a toilet, food, drink and other basic things. When we want something we make loud, incomprehensible trumpets with the back of our throat, tapping on a picture. Obviously that will make everything much more streamlined, efficient and acceptable to people who don't want to learn English