Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!maynard!campbell
From: campbell@maynard.BSW.COM (Larry Campbell)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: New Map Files - Latest PATHALIAS/NETNEWS versions required
Message-ID: <1037@maynard.BSW.COM>
Date: 20 Dec 87 14:37:07 GMT
References: <8711241022.AA12529@RUTGERS.EDU> <21871@lll-tis.arpa> <3622@hoptoad.uucp> <1034@maynard.BSW.COM> <7896@e.ms.uky.edu>
Reply-To: campbell@maynard.UUCP (Larry Campbell)
Organization: The Boston Software Works, Inc.
Lines: 35

In article <7896@e.ms.uky.edu> david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- Resident
E-mail Hack) responds to my "supersede does not contain the letter `c'"
flame, saying:

<>Now, tell me something.  Why is it unfortunate that languages change?
<>
<>Where would we be if English had been frozen a couple of hundred years
<>ago when there were no words for this thing sitting on my desk, the
<>thing it's connected to, various of the chips and such inside the
<>terminal and the computer and so on...

I'm not arguing that it's unfortunate languages change.  I'm not
arguing against adding new words to the language, nor against dropping
obsolete words from the language.  I *am* arguing against misspelling
words in a way that obscures their etymology.  The history of our
language is fascinating and instructive.  Knowing the etymology of the
words one uses improves one's understanding and usage of the language.
Obscuring the etymology of a word by carelessly misspelling it certainly
is not a capital offense, but neither is it to be encouraged.

Several people claimed that since Webster's dictionary includes the `c'
spelling of "supersede", it's correct.  My American Heritage dictionary
doesn't even include the `c' spelling as a variant.  But that's beside
the point.  Just because something is in the dictionary doesn't mean
it's correct, or desirable.  The word "ain't" is in most dictionaries,
and is clearly part of the English language, but few would argue that
it is proper to use the word in educated discourse.

I think we've strayed pretty far from the stated subject area for news.admin.
Anyone wishing to debate spelling etiquette with me (I love to flame on it)
is invited to do so by email.
-- 
Larry Campbell                                The Boston Software Works, Inc.
Internet: campbell@maynard.bsw.com          120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109
uucp: {husc6,mirror,think}!maynard!campbell         +1 617 367 6846