Any chance of a topic about language and linguistics?

[MardyBra]

Hello lovely MNHQ
We often have lively debates about language change and usage and many of would dearly love a topic where we can mull over these things without posters who not interested in such topics accusing us of being irrelevant or snobbish. Any chance of looking into it?

See this thread for details

Just have a safe online affaire with us...

I've had to train my dh, Pacific. It's the only way!

I would love this topic!!

My DH still says 'Why are you doing that for?' It pains me

Cunning linguists? Everyone happy with that?

What is it for? Discussion on changes to English language? Discussion in other languages? Discussion on the meaning of words? Bilingual MNetters...

all of the above and more?

Have a look at this, Rebecca Alex is too shy to link to it, but if she sends me some wine, I will flog her blog for her

:)

I am no expert, but I love learning about the origins of words, and how usage has changed.

I think it's more about the way language changes through history, with particular words taking on new meanings and usages, Rebecca. 'Tis a very interesting subject.

Yes, all of those. Discussion of etymology, of varieties of languages, of idiolects and dialects...

Discussion of expressions in different languages, what different ways there are around the globe to express the same concept...

So many things!

What a wonderful blog. I love the style - it's so simple and clean, just about the words

MmeCinq - (why is there no barrel emoticon??)

Thankyou lougle! I love writing it, and it was other MNetters, like MmeCinq, who encouraged me to start!

When Alex is making a fortune from her blog, I will demand wine barrels royalties

I can't send a barrel through the post. And I don't think they'll let me take it on the plane. You'll just have to come here and drink it...

I love that blog sends a link to bloggers
We will add the topic suggestion to the agenda at our next MNHQ conflab next week and see what we can do - great suggestion and great topic, thanks all.

Oooh, thankyou, Rebecca.

I am quite open to suggestions of words or phrases to research, if anyone has any ideas!

Cunning linguists is perfect. It's for exploring the joy of language. Everything from franglais to linguistics.

Thank you, Gracie, merci, danke, tak, eskerrik asko.

Oh wow, we have a cautiously optimistic result - thanks for taking it forward, Rebecca.
I can go to bed happy

sounds fun

I support this idea, but I don't want to see Pedants' corner disappear.

Etymology is sexy.

Love it (& great blog) - to me, cunning linguists would be more socio-linguistics/etymology/linguistics/'proper usage' rather than bi-linguistic in focus (although by no means excluding that topic) I'd agree that it would be a replacement/overlap with pedants corner, though.

How exciting to see so much support.

Topics could include:
Etymology
Changes in usage - (e.g. "I text" v "I texted"?, Would you ever use "awesome" unless awe was truly evoked)
Regional or class variations (Do you say pumps/daps/plimsolls or sandshoes for PE shoes? Do you have dinner/tea/supper?)
Foreign languages - maybe some long-running threads for speakers of particular languages. Also how do you pronounce certain foreign words used in English.

Correct usage/pedantry.

But rather than narrow it down too much, could we make the topic "an exploration of language and languages" and see what comes up.

I agree that Pedant's Corner is a bit different from what we are aiming for here - we'd accept that language changes whereas pedants like to aerate themselves debate The One Right Way Of Doing Things (which I quite enjoy from time to time too).

Mardy, "an exploration of language" sums it up quite nicely IMO.

an exploration of language and languages

Sounds perfect to me!

Could we not have a Languages Ubertopic, with Pedants Corner, Bilingualism, Cunning Linguists, English as a Foreign Language ...