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The concept to which you're referring is that linguists describe language without shaping it. Its like saying scientists don't make physics, they observe it. Wi
by alanctgardner2 14y ago
The concept to which you're referring is that linguists describe language without shaping it. Its like saying scientists don't make physics, they observe it. With sociological phenomena the distinction between dictating something and measuring it is finer, but it doesnt mean linguists hate prescriptive grammars.
- saraid216 14y agoI think he means to contrast English with, say, Spanish which has an actual governing, prescriptive body. I googled to find the name of it for you and Wikipedia gave me a much better link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators As a primary English speaker, I find it both silly and abhorrent that they even bother but... eh. Whatever.