The Opinion of an Illiterate

Perhaps it is solely because I am an “ignorant and illiterate” (Garner) highschooler. However, nonetheless I must side with Robert Lane in this argument. I believe that language is a direct reflection of the era in which we are living and that it always has been. Consequentially,  I would also believe that to an extent prescriptivists are living in the past.  And while Gardner refers to his kind as “guardians of the language” (Garner) he never specifies what exactly he is guarding the language from. My guess would be that based on his attitude towards literature that he would be referring to the ignorance of people when regards to language. Moreover, if I am correct in saying that language is a reflection of the society in which it is birthed than Garner is in effect declaring that society as a whole is “disgraceful” (Garner).

This seems to be a popular opinion as of late. That all of society has somehow gone to (insert preferred expletive here).  However this opinion is itself a natural aspect of society. It is not as if these thoughts are at all new, however. In fact the people claiming that society is somehow doomed have existed virtually throughout the existence of civilized society. It is natural for there to be a haughty group of linguists in every era of society which believe that they are somehow above the times.

I suppose that for me, flow is more important than any rules of speech and will always be. Obviously basic grammar rules must always be heeded to ensure the literature is legible. However, as long as the ground-rules of modern English are followed, the flow is generally superior when using conventions popularized in society.

“When a proposed rule and actual usage conflict, the proposed rule is false, and actual usage should be our guide” (Lane). And the reason being for this, in my opinion, is that if litterature follows what is used in society then consequently society will more easily be able to follow the literature. It makes sense. After all, it is the connotation of words is always the meaning that is generally accepted in society. While the literal definition of bitch is “a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter” (Google),  nobody is going to go around a pet store asking to see the new bitches.