Group Campaigns to have English Spelling Simplified

**LesMTS** · 10th July 2007, 12:43pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6250184.stm

http://www.spellingsociety.org/

In my opinion this a completely stupid and fundamentally flawed idea as it completely ignores differences in dialect.
For example they state that "ask" and "and" are confusing for learners (both native and foreign) because the "a" sound is pronounced differently in each word. Not here they're not.
They also suggest that the spelling of "poor" be changed to "por".

Jaemi · 10th July 2007, 12:45pm

Proving once and for all that people will actually complain about anything.

Woolies · 10th July 2007, 12:46pm

bludy eejits

XMachina · 10th July 2007, 12:53pm

sounds like newspeak to me.

Exit_W0unds · 10th July 2007, 1:03pm

I want to stab every cunt who moans about wanting the language changed.

GoddamnElectric · 10th July 2007, 1:04pm

So what's the lesson they want to teach kids here? If something is hard to do, complain and get it made easier?

Timmy · 10th July 2007, 1:04pm

Och aye lets make et scuttush

Exit_W0unds · 10th July 2007, 1:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoddamnElectric

So what's the lesson they want to teach kids here? If something is hard to do, complain and get it made easier?

Yes.

**djtoast** · 10th July 2007, 1:09pm

Those aren't great examples, possibly. If a foreign person pronounced "ask" using the flatter "a" sound used by English people in saying "and" , then they'd be understood perfectly well.

The usual example of -ough is possibly a bit more valid. I don't have a particular problem with Americans shifting towards "thru" rather than "through"for example - altho' I'm generally old-fashioned about accuracy in using language, there's no point clinging to absurdities just because.

So text speak gets my goat because it often does hamper meaning, but I don't harbour any desire to revert to spellings like "magicke" - language does move on and we should allow that where it clarifies and edifies. I'm not sure that "por" is an improvement on "poor" : "pur" would make more sense if anything.

Charlicat · 10th July 2007, 1:14pm

Force them to read junk talk, then see how they'd like it.

GoddamnElectric · 10th July 2007, 1:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by djtoast

So text speak gets my goat because it often does hamper meaning, but I don't harbour any desire to revert to spellings like "magicke" - language does move on and we should allow that where it clarifies and edifies. I'm not sure that "por" is an improvement on "poor" : "pur" would make more sense if anything.

I thinke I mighte starte my own campaigne to start adding 'e' to the end of randome words. I likes it

TSR · 10th July 2007, 1:18pm

"pur" just looks insanely daft to me and should be made fun of

there's the way you spell something, and then the way you say it. spelling should always be the same, imo

**LesMTS** · 10th July 2007, 1:18pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by djtoast

Those aren't great examples, possibly. If a foreign person pronounced "ask" using the flatter "a" sound used by English people in saying "and" , then they'd be understood perfectly well.

The usual example of -ough is possibly a bit more valid. I don't have a particular problem with Americans shifting towards "thru" rather than "through"for example - altho' I'm generally old-fashioned about accuracy in using language, there's no point clinging to absurdities just because.

So text speak gets my goat because it often does hamper meaning, but I don't harbour any desire to revert to spellings like "magicke" - language does move on and we should allow that where it clarifies and edifies. I'm not sure that "por" is an improvement on "poor" : "pur" would make more sense if anything.

Of course language changes and I would put up no great resistance to that.
You can't force it, though, it happens slowly and naturally, and you certainly can't change every word to a phonetic spelling based on the dialect of affluent, educated south-eastern England.

XMachina · 10th July 2007, 1:19pm

Let's not beat around the bush, what they are suggesting is language should be dumbed down. I'm relieved so far it has been met with indignation.

**PapaZeb** · 10th July 2007, 1:20pm

This makes me long for the not-too-distant dystopian post-holocaust Mad-Maxian world we're destined for.

*group of people approach the LEADER*
"Please sir, change the spelling of poor to por"
*LEADER has them dragged outside and hanged (or hung, depending on what portion of the English-speaking language he is from) for wasting his time*
Praise LEADER.