I'm in academia--the list of "stupid scholars" is legion, trust me. Language changes over time--"hussy" used to mean "housewife." So, if people today use it to mean something derogatory about a woman, they are "wrong"? Rules about split infinitives and not ending sentences with prepositions are vestiges of eras when rules for classical languages (which are highly inflected) were imposed on non-inflected languages (like English, which has some inflection, but not in as determinative way as Greek and Latin).
Too bad you proudly assert you have no plans to "remedy" your ignorance. Linguistics, even at its most basic and less technical level, is fascinating and gives insight into language change. But do try to be a "bulwark" against change--it's a losing battle. |
