Comments on: The language of the internet http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/ a blog by Jim Bliss Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:32:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Forums, forum, fora « Sentence first http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-781 Forums, forum, fora « Sentence first Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:32:51 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-781 [...] correct plural of forum itself — is it forums or fora? — as have some language blogs and other sites. Latin plurals are evidently a popular topic. Some of the commentary is sensible and even-handed, [...] [...] correct plural of forum itself — is it forums or fora? — as have some language blogs and other sites. Latin plurals are evidently a popular topic. Some of the commentary is sensible and even-handed, [...]

]]> By: Ian Appleby http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-780 Ian Appleby Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:46:25 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-780 Merrick, it's not just you and Jim, but let's not go throwing tantra over it. Merrick, it’s not just you and Jim, but let’s not go throwing tantra over it.

]]> By: merrick http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-779 merrick Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:55:38 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-779 I too used fora until it became too weird. Sadly, Jim, we are a tiny minority. You won't find people filling stadia to protest about it. It's just you and me, looking like we're talking out of our recta. I too used fora until it became too weird. Sadly, Jim, we are a tiny minority. You won’t find people filling stadia to protest about it. It’s just you and me, looking like we’re talking out of our recta.

]]> By: GiantWeazle http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-778 GiantWeazle Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:56:16 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-778 I have a kind of linguistic question that I have pondered over for years. If a man has a fire blanket grafted onto his face (I know this is a bit far fetched, but stay with me), would that be described as distinguishing or extinguishing feature? I have a kind of linguistic question that I have pondered over for years.

If a man has a fire blanket grafted onto his face (I know this is a bit far fetched, but stay with me), would that be described as distinguishing or extinguishing feature?

]]> By: GiantWeazle http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-777 GiantWeazle Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:39:43 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-777 You say fora, I say forums, let's call the whole thing off. You say fora, I say forums, let’s call the whole thing off.

]]> By: Rob http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-776 Rob Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:57:18 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-776 Eh, I used the web version... One of the benefits of being a student. I agree though, that aesthetically it would be preferable if the plural of forum was fora, for all kinds of reasons, and that of course the OED is not the be-all-and-end-all of these things: meaning is use, etc, etc... As an aside, assuming that flora and fauna are plurals, what should we call individual plants and animals? Eh, I used the web version… One of the benefits of being a student. I agree though, that aesthetically it would be preferable if the plural of forum was fora, for all kinds of reasons, and that of course the OED is not the be-all-and-end-all of these things: meaning is use, etc, etc… As an aside, assuming that flora and fauna are plurals, what should we call individual plants and animals?

]]> By: Jim http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-775 Jim Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:45:18 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-775 That's curious, Rob, my edition of the OED includes both plurals (it points out that the origin is the Latin phrase <em>"what is out of doors"</em> and that "<strong>forums</strong> is preferred to the Latin plural <strong>fora</strong> in normal English usage"). But of course, that's the point my rant was decrying. Mind you, far more important to the rant were my own memories of learning Latin from the Christian Brothers and vowing that one day I'd find some use for it. I'm not saying that a silly blog post is a <em>good</em> use for it, but it is <em>a</em> use. And my only point (insofar as I had one beyond fulfilling my Orwell-quote-quota for the month) was that our language is pretty arbitrary with regards to which archaic forms it maintains and which ones it drops (my edition of the OED doesn't offer the plural 'datums' as an option). In the case of fora / forums; because of the popularity of the web-forum as a medium of communication; there was almost certainly a point in recent years when it could have gone either way. Had people begun to use web-fora as the general plural, it would have firmly re-established the word. And because I find the word aesthetically pleasing, that would have been a good thing in my book. And pretty soon it won't even be that, <strong>L</strong>. It'll just be another linguistic nugget lost down the memory hole. You could indeed, <strong>dearieme</strong>. Though obviously I'd rather you didn't. That’s curious, Rob, my edition of the OED includes both plurals (it points out that the origin is the Latin phrase “what is out of doors” and that “forums is preferred to the Latin plural fora in normal English usage”). But of course, that’s the point my rant was decrying.

Mind you, far more important to the rant were my own memories of learning Latin from the Christian Brothers and vowing that one day I’d find some use for it. I’m not saying that a silly blog post is a good use for it, but it is a use.

And my only point (insofar as I had one beyond fulfilling my Orwell-quote-quota for the month) was that our language is pretty arbitrary with regards to which archaic forms it maintains and which ones it drops (my edition of the OED doesn’t offer the plural ‘datums’ as an option). In the case of fora / forums; because of the popularity of the web-forum as a medium of communication; there was almost certainly a point in recent years when it could have gone either way. Had people begun to use web-fora as the general plural, it would have firmly re-established the word. And because I find the word aesthetically pleasing, that would have been a good thing in my book.

And pretty soon it won’t even be that, L. It’ll just be another linguistic nugget lost down the memory hole.

You could indeed, dearieme. Though obviously I’d rather you didn’t.

]]> By: Rob http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-774 Rob Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:05:56 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-774 I had a look in the OED a while ago to try and work out what the plural of forum was, on the basis that it looks like it should be pluralized fora, but you usually see it as forums, and it turns out that according to the OED, the plural is and always has been forums. For example, "1647 R. STAPYLTON Juvenal 61 The city of Rome had four great forums or piazzas." It would be nice if the plural were fora, and it is being corrupted to forums, though. It's just not. I had a look in the OED a while ago to try and work out what the plural of forum was, on the basis that it looks like it should be pluralized fora, but you usually see it as forums, and it turns out that according to the OED, the plural is and always has been forums. For example,

“1647 R. STAPYLTON Juvenal 61 The city of Rome had four great forums or piazzas.”

It would be nice if the plural were fora, and it is being corrupted to forums, though. It’s just not.

]]> By: dearieme http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-773 dearieme Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:34:31 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-773 So if you happened to have a face like W H Auden's, I could say that the two of you looked like a pair of scrota? So if you happened to have a face like W H Auden’s, I could say that the two of you looked like a pair of scrota?

]]> By: L http://numero57.net/2007/03/23/the-language-of-the-internet/#comment-772 L Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:06:48 +0000 http://numero57.net/?p=139#comment-772 wow.... I hadn't realized it was so doubleplus ungood wow…. I hadn’t realized it was so doubleplus ungood

]]>