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View Full Version : Evolution Strikes Again

rugcat
10-12-2007, 04:20 AM
Tracing the evolution of English verbs over 1,200 years -- from the Old English of "Beowulf" to the modern English of "The Princess Diaries" -- researchers have found that the majority of irregular verbs are going the way of Grendel, falling to the linguistic equivalent of natural selection.Darwin's contemporaries in linguistics, however, were not evolutionists and adhered to quasi-mystical ideas to explain language development.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-verbs11oct11,1,3635612.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
joetrain
10-12-2007, 04:33 AM
i'm for bringing back holp.
whistlelock
10-12-2007, 05:01 AM
When'd the last time anyone besought anything, really?
wordmonkey
10-12-2007, 05:49 AM
I thought the English Language sprang fully-formed, by intelligent-linguistic-design, from the King James Bible?
Tiger
10-12-2007, 05:53 AM
When'd the last time anyone besought anything, really?

I don't think I've ever even said, "It is I, Tiger."
Joe270
10-12-2007, 06:11 AM
Medievalist is gonna be pissed.
Bartholomew
10-12-2007, 07:33 AM
We have regular verbs?
Celia Cyanide
10-12-2007, 07:40 AM
I don't think I've ever even said, "It is I, Tiger."

That's unfortunate. You should.
SpookyWriter
10-12-2007, 08:29 AM
Isn't this a grammar for grasshoppers thread? Hey wake up mod! Move this thread to OP where it belongs. I can't be troubled tonight trying to consummate a noun while I'm busy adverbing verbs.
Dawno
10-12-2007, 09:22 AM
I'm not moving it. It's a relief from the rest of the stuff around here.
blacbird
10-12-2007, 09:37 AM
I'm not moving it. It's a relief from the rest of the stuff around here.

What, for instance? I was under the impression that this forum was the place to post things there was no necessity to have a relief from.

caw
joetrain
10-12-2007, 10:22 AM
new research ain't a current event?

we might as well bring back ain't while we're on the subject.
whistlelock
10-12-2007, 11:34 PM
I ain't having none of that now, ya hear!




okay, I gave y'all long enough.
Tiger
10-13-2007, 01:16 AM
That's unfortunate. You should.

You do?
Dawno
10-13-2007, 02:19 AM
What, for instance? I was under the impression that this forum was the place to post things there was no necessity to have a relief from.

caw

This is the Politics and Current Events forum. The original post is a "current event" in that it is current news.

As for the rest of my comment, I'm not sure why you felt compelled to react to it - does it really matter? After all the heated debate about Theocracy and is a fetus a parasite...well, I thought it was a relief to bring up something rather different.
Celia Cyanide
10-13-2007, 02:33 AM
You do?

Yes, but Celia Cyanide saying, "It is I, Tiger," is pretty confusing, so I was hoping you could take over for me...
Bird of Prey
10-13-2007, 02:38 AM
This is the Politics and Current Events forum. The original post is a "current event" in that it is current news.

As for the rest of my comment, I'm not sure why you felt compelled to react to it - does it really matter? After all the heated debate about Theocracy and is a fetus a parasite...well, I thought it was a relief to bring up something rather different.


Because PC & E should stand for petulant, contentious and exasperating?
Dawno
10-13-2007, 02:43 AM
well, BoP, there's de facto and de jure... :)
TheGaffer
10-14-2007, 06:05 AM
As for the rest of my comment, I'm not sure why you felt compelled to react to it - does it really matter? After all the heated debate about Theocracy and is a fetus a parasite...well, I thought it was a relief to bring up something rather different.


We're trying to conform to the room we're in, and get argumentative.