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    A Million Fingers Are Tapping Out A Challenge To The Tyranny of Spelling

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    The document discusses the potential liberation of the English language from strict spelling rules through text messaging and how young people are evolving a new script and expanding the alphabet through emoticons. It argues that English orthography is an irrational edifice stuck in the past and that reform has seen many false dawns. A conference should be held to declare many English spellings archaic and accept texting abbreviations as common usage.

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    A Million Fingers Are Tapping Out A Challenge To The Tyranny of Spelling

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    măruţa
    37 views3 pages
    The document discusses the potential liberation of the English language from strict spelling rules through text messaging and how young people are evolving a new script and expanding the alphabet through emoticons. It argues that English orthography is an irrational edifice stuck in the past and that reform has seen many false dawns. A conference should be held to declare many English spellings archaic and accept texting abbreviations as common usage.

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    present-day English

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    The document discusses the potential liberation of the English language from strict spelling rules through text messaging and how young people are evolving a new script and expanding the alphabet through emoticons. It argues that English orthography is an irrational edifice stuck in the past and that reform has seen many false dawns. A conference should be held to declare many English spellings archaic and accept texting abbreviations as common usage.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    37 views3 pages

    A Million Fingers Are Tapping Out A Challenge To The Tyranny of Spelling

    Uploaded by

    măruţa
    The document discusses the potential liberation of the English language from strict spelling rules through text messaging and how young people are evolving a new script and expanding the alphabet through emoticons. It argues that English orthography is an irrational edifice stuck in the past and that reform has seen many false dawns. A conference should be held to declare many English spellings archaic and accept texting abbreviations as common usage.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    Date: 14-Nov-2006 11:23

    A million fingers are tapping out a challenge to the tyranny of spelling


    The texting generation may yet realise George Bernard Shaw's dream of liberating the English language for all of us. Simon Jenkins Friday November 03 2006, The !ardian

    Thank yo!, S"ot#and$ First John %no&, then the 'n#i(htenment and no) the S"ottish *!a#i+i"ations ,!thority$ -n a dire"t "ha##en(e to the 'n(#ish at their most rea"tionary, the a!thority has de"#ared that it )i## accept text-messaging short forms in school examinations$ The dark riders o+ ar"haism )i## .rotest and the ba"k)oods )i## ho)#$ No s.e## is "ast as dire as s.e##"he"k$ /!t the "ham.ions o+ reason are massin( north o+ the border and need o!r s!..ort$ -t is .#ain si##y to re(ard do!(hn!t as 0better0 than don!t$ The same (oes +or a#ternatives to ni(ht, thro!(h, "o#o!r and )ho#esome$ 1hen the (reat Noah 1ebster invented ,meri"an s.e##in( a+ter inde.enden"e, he #e+t /ritish 'n(#ish imm!red in bi(otry$ 2e "hided 0even )e##-bred .eo.#e and s"ho#ars +or s!rrenderin( their ri(ht o+ .rivate 3!d(ment to #iterary (overnors0$ To ,meri"ans, s.e##in( re+orm )as the soverei(nty o+ "ommon sense$ For that reason the /ritish treated it as +orei(n, v!#(ar and, )orst o+ a##, ,meri"an$ - have no 4!arre# )ith (rammati"a# a!thoritarianism$ rammar is a vehi"#e that needs a hi(h)ay "ode o+ h!man "omm!ni"ation$ To .arse is to .ros.er$ rammar evo#ves to re+#e"t the ne) !ses that #an(!a(e re4!ires o+ it, as di"tionaries in"#!de ne) )ords$ ,dverbs and ad3e"tives +i(ht the (ood +i(ht a(ainst .overty-stri"ken no!ns and verbs$ 5re.ositions and "on3!n"tions are h!r#ed into the +ray$ , "ontroversia# time is had by a##$ -n "ontrast, s.e##in( has be"ome a no-(o area, an inte##e"t!a# t!ndra$ 1hi#e .#ain )ritin( is "onsidered a sty#isti" virt!e, .#ain s.e##in( is a vi"e$ 'n(#ish ortho(ra.hy is an edi+i"e o+ !nreason$ 1ord endin(s are the #ast (as. o+ the ,n(#o-Sa&on and Norman invasions, embedded in the "!#t!ra# DN, o+ #iterary /rahmins$ Not to s.e## .ro.er#y is a si(n o+ bein( "ommon, as on"e )as i(noran"e o+ 6atin$ %no)in( yo!r 0ie0 +rom 0ei0 or -ib#e +rom -ab#e does not a++e"t a )ord7s meanin( one 3ot$ -t is a "aste mark, its distin"tion derivin( +rom its very obs"!rity$ ,"ross the (#obe, st!dents o+ 'n(#ish are driven to distra"tion by its s.e##in($ /ritons ridi"!#e the Fren"h +or their r!#e-based #an(!a(e, b!t at #east they have a s"ho#ar#y a"ademy to dis"!ss and a..rove 8or resist9 re+orm$ 1hi#e 'n(#ish ada.ts its vo"ab!#ary to "ir"!mstan"e, it has no )ay o+ ada.tin( its s.e##in($ 'very time - )rite "o!(h, bo!(h, thro!(h and thoro!(h 8not to mention )rite9, - think o+ the teemin( mi##ions o+ st!dents )ho ask their tea"hers: )hy: There is no ans)er$ - s!((est they #earn ,meri"an 'n(#ish instead$ The do(matism o+ 'n(#ish ortho(ra.hy is a bond o+ #e&i"o#o(i"a# +reemasonry, a "ons.ira"y a(ainst the #aity$ ;r)e## ri(ht#y asso"iated s!"h do(ma )ith tota#itarianism$ 1ron( is ri(ht, as in )ar is .ea"e$ -n Shakes.eare7s day a!thors "onveyed the "#earest o+ messa(es )ith random s.e##in(, even o+ Shakes.eare7s o)n name$ ,s David <rysta# .oints o!t in The Fight for English, not !nti# the 1=th "ent!ry )as <hester+ie#d ab#e to "hastise his son on his .oor s.e##in(, )arnin( that 0- kno) a man o+ 4!a#ity )ho never re"overed the ridi"!#e o+ havin( s.e##ed )ho#esome )itho!t the )$0 ;rtho(ra.hi"a# .!rity is .er.et!a##y !nder strain$ <rysta# estimates that the ;&+ord di"tionary (ives a#ternate s.e##in(s +or some 2>? o+ )ords at some time in history$ 02en"e the notion o+ standard s.e##in( needs to be taken )ith a h!(e .in"h o+ sa#t$0 @et .ro.ose that /ritain sho!#d s.e## "o#o!r )itho!t a ! and it is #ike b!rnin( the +#a($ -n 1AA2 the Guardian re.orted a a##!.

    .o## s!((estin( that on#y one in si& ad!#ts "o!#d s.e## a""ommodation, b!siness, hei(ht, ne"essary, se.arate and sin"ere#yB 10? (ot them a## )ron($ This )as "onsidered a sho"kin( e&am.#e o+ .!b#i" i##itera"y$ -n tr!th it )as a "omment on the ar"haism o+ the s.e##in(s$ -ta#ians )o!#d not "onsider s!"h a .o## )orth ho#din($ 1hen eor(e /ernard Sha), #eadin( "ham.ion o+ a sim.#i+ied a#.habet 8or a#+abet9 )as "ensored +or )ritin( shant, he asked )hy shan7t and not the more a""!rate sha7n7t$ 2e said o+ most a.ostro.hes, 0There is not the +aintest reason +or .ersistin( in the !(#y and si##y tri"k o+ .e..erin( .a(es )ith these !n"o!th ba"i##i$0 2e )as ri(ht in "#aimin( that ar"hai" s.e##in(s )ere maintained to kee. the .oor i##iterate, b!t )ron( to think that they )o!#d im.ede the s.read o+ 'n(#ish as a )or#d #an(!a(e$ S.e##in( is the #ast +i( #ea+ o+ em.ire, the #ast bastion o+ nanny 8or 6ynne Tr!ss9 kno)s best$ -t is st!"k in the tram#ines o+ the .ast, and nobody thinks strai(ht on the s!b3e"t$ Ce+orm has seen many +a#se da)ns$ Some ho.ed +or a breakthro!(h )ith the te#e(ram$ /!t by "har(in( +or )ords, not "hara"ters, the 5ost ;++i"e dro..ed this .ass$ -saa" 5itman "reated a ne) 'n(#ish s"ri.t )ith shorthand, b!t its boy"ott by tea"hers and restri"tion to a servi#e "#ass o+ se"retaries and 3o!rna#ists stam.ed it as a man!a# ski##$ The same a..#ied to steno(ra.hy$ ,nother o..ort!nity "ame )ith the 4)erty keyboard$ Desi(ned to avoid the 3ammin( o+ me"hani"a# arms, it )as a (o#den o..ort!nity +or sim.#i+ied s.e##in($ @et even )hen e#e"troni" keyboards ended the 3ammin( .rob#em, nobody tho!(ht to re+orm the 4)erty #ayo!t or s.e##in( )ith it$ - am to#d that Dandarin "an be transmitted +aster, by a ski##ed o.erator, than Coman s"ri.t )ith 'n(#ish s.e##in(s$ Dost 'n(#ish )ords are t)i"e as #on( as they need to be, sta((erin( !nder a )ei(ht o+ !nvoi"ed vo)e#s and "onsonants s!r.#!s to re4!irements$ <om.!ter !sers may be hard-)ired to 4)erty, b!t mi##ions sti## .#od a"ross the keyboard sear"hin( )ith sin(#e-+in(er ty.in($ Tho!sands are disab#ed by re.etitive stress in3!ries$ <an te&tin( +ina##y s.!r revo#!tion: @o!n( .eo.#e have evo#ved both a ne) s"ri.t and a "oste++e"tive reason +or !sin( it$ They are breakin( +ree o+ s.e##in( do(ma and e&.andin( the a#.habet )ith emoti"ons$ Te&tin( is the shorthand o+ the "om.!ter a(e$ -t is "on"ise, "!ttin( thro!(h the verba# 3ar(on by )hi"h the .ro+essiona# "#asses seek to e&"#!de the #ess ed!"ated$ The Txtr's A-Z, a di"tionary "om.i#ed by ,ndre) John, .oints o!t that mobi#e te&tin( #itera##y .!ts a .ri"e on )a++#e, )hi#e 0in(enio!s abbreviations have been "ontrived to "a.t!re a va(!e#y .hi#oso.hi"a# tho!(ht, a #ovin( sentiment or a bea!ti+!##y "ra+ted obs"enity0$ 2e des"ribes )hat is a "haoti" #iterary .id(in$ The S"ottish e&aminers are adamant that they are not re)ardin( te&t s.e##in(, sin"e there )i## be no marks +or it, on#y +or a""!ra"y o+ meanin($ 5!.i#s )i## be "redited +or 4!otin( 02b or not 2b0 b!t )i## (et hi(her marks i+ they s.e## it "onventiona##y$ That they sho!#d be .ena#ised +or an o++en"e that Shakes.eare himse#+ "ommitted is stran(e$ S!re#y .!.i#s are savin( .a.er and he#.in( e&aminers by their brevity$ /!t a## "han(e m!st start some)here$ Sha) #e+t the /ritish D!se!m a #e(a"y +or the .romotion o+ s.e##in( re+orm, a #e(a"y )hi"h the m!se!m sto#e a+ter a "ase o+ Jarndy"e obs"!rity in the "o!rt o+ "han"ery in 1A>E$ To make amends the /ritish 6ibrary sho!#d no) s!mmon a "on+eren"e in Sha)7s name o+ #e&i"o(ra.hers and )riters to de"#are a tho!sand 'n(#ish s.e##in(s ar"hai" and tho!sands more as "ommon !sa(e, in"#!din( te&tin( short +orms$ -+ not, the )or#d )i## .ass on and the nation7s yo!n( )i## re+orm 'n(#ish s.e##in( on their o)n$ ,#ready a mi##ion +in(ers are ta..in( o!t a revo#!tion$ The S"ots are sho)in( the )ay$

    simon$3enkinsF(!ardian$"o$!k <o.yri(ht !ardian Ne)s and Dedia 6imited To see this story )ith its re#ated #inks on the !ardian Gn#imited site, (o to htt.:HH)))$(!ardian$"o$!k

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