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English is already a counterexample. As for orthography reforms, well, they don't affect language as such, as languages are primarily spoken. An orthography ref
by jhgb 5y ago
English is already a counterexample. As for orthography reforms, well, they don't affect language as such, as languages are primarily spoken. An orthography reform won't ever change how people speak, so whether the German one was successful or not is irrelevant. And the fact that orthography reforms in particular may not be often successful is not surprising either since written words tend to more conservative as they have facilitated communication through time. Just look at the discrepancy between English speech and writing.
- CRConrad 5y ago> English is already a counterexample. I meant counterexample in the sense of "language that does at least ostensibly have a central authority (the Duden) still in the end having to bow to the will of the language-using public". English isn't a counterexample of that, since it doesn't even remotely claim to be governed by any central authority. > ...languages are primarily spoken. An orthography reform won't ever change how people speak, so whether the German one was successful or not is irrelevant "Primarily" is not the same as "only". You haven't heard a word I've said, have you? And yet here we are, talking to each other...