4 ms·

Somehow other languages manage. There's also quite some benefit for a org with official capacity to declare, against the wishes of some individuals, that say "

Somehow other languages manage. There's also quite some benefit for a org with official capacity to declare, against the wishes of some individuals, that say "santorum", "bromance" or "trumpgret" are not in fact English words.

mr_toad 3y ago
What happens when the US and UK disagree? Not to mention the other ~80 countries that use it). They can’t even agree on spelling.
- occamrazor 3y ago
  For German there is an international body. Regional language differences are officially acknowledged. For example, Swiss High German has no Esszet and in Austria January is spelled "Jenner" instead of "Januar".
  - Scharkenberg 3y ago
    Eszett, Jänner
spiesd 3y ago
Genuinely curious: how do other languages manage? Surely societies adopt words, idioms, shorthand phrases that haven't (yet) been officially sanctioned? There's plenty professional jargon that, while not "proper" English, is understood within certain contexts. There are also, to my old ears' chagrin, plenty of teenage neologisms that come into common usage, either through popularity or attrition. Do other languages remain static? What happens when actually new things happen? Does "CD-ROM" just get integrated in whole? Translated? Rejected? While I find many "new" english words unacceptable for my use, I wouldn't personally declare them "not English words". Moreover, if there were an authority over authentic english (especially American english) word existence and usage, I get the feeling that most would laugh said authority out of the room.
- jojobas 3y ago
  If the words/grammar stick well enough, the governing bodies let them in. Until then, use them in an essay at school and you'll lose marks.
- berkes 3y ago
  Some languages, like Afrikaans, won't loan words, and make their own up. Where in Dutch we use computer, computernetwerk or lift, in Afrikaans it is rekenaar, rekenaarstelsel and hijsbakkie. And in many languages, most famous in Dutch and German, one can make up words by putting other words together. Those aren't official untill some officials put it in some list. But that way, we can have koekiewet or Wutbürgerin or Nachtshoppen.

mr_toad 3y ago

What happens when the US and UK disagree? Not to mention the other ~80 countries that use it). They can’t even agree on spelling.

occamrazor 3y ago
For German there is an international body. Regional language differences are officially acknowledged. For example, Swiss High German has no Esszet and in Austria January is spelled "Jenner" instead of "Januar".
- Scharkenberg 3y ago
  Eszett, Jänner

spiesd 3y ago

Genuinely curious: how do other languages manage? Surely societies adopt words, idioms, shorthand phrases that haven't (yet) been officially sanctioned? There's plenty professional jargon that, while not "proper" English, is understood within certain contexts. There are also, to my old ears' chagrin, plenty of teenage neologisms that come into common usage, either through popularity or attrition. Do other languages remain static? What happens when actually new things happen? Does "CD-ROM" just get integrated in whole? Translated? Rejected? While I find many "new" english words unacceptable for my use, I wouldn't personally declare them "not English words". Moreover, if there were an authority over authentic english (especially American english) word existence and usage, I get the feeling that most would laugh said authority out of the room.

jojobas 3y ago
If the words/grammar stick well enough, the governing bodies let them in. Until then, use them in an essay at school and you'll lose marks.
berkes 3y ago
Some languages, like Afrikaans, won't loan words, and make their own up. Where in Dutch we use computer, computernetwerk or lift, in Afrikaans it is rekenaar, rekenaarstelsel and hijsbakkie. And in many languages, most famous in Dutch and German, one can make up words by putting other words together. Those aren't official untill some officials put it in some list. But that way, we can have koekiewet or Wutbürgerin or Nachtshoppen.