Re: Inventing words unnecess -Reply

["Cheverie, Paul [Cont]" <paul -dot- cheverie -at- GPO -dot- CANADA -dot- CDEV -dot- COM>]

David,

>>One of the reasons we have the largest and most descriptive
language is because, unlike the French, we have no language
police. <<

     I don't advocate language police or retricting the growth of the
langauge. What I advocate is concern and respect for our readers. My
argument isn't about control of the language, it is about our attitudes and
responsibilities as writers.
     My objection to "honorability" is that it was generated out of
laziness. As professional communicators we owe it to our readers to
construct sentences that our readers will understand without having to guess
at the writer's intended meaning. The use (and invention) of honorability in
the context within which it was written was grammatically incorrect and
quite obviously didn't say what the writer intended and therefore was quite
a useless invention. What really bothers me is that the writer of that
abomination didn't have enough concern for his readers to make the effort to
construct a simple, easily-understood statement using the generally accepted
principals of use for the language we speak and write - English. It's an
attitude I see more and more in the writers I meet today. We seem to have
acquired the arrogance of other professions and professional associations
without the requisite respect for our profession, our conduct and the people
we ultimately serve: our readers.
Regards
Paul C.
paul -dot- cheverie -at- gpo -dot- canada -dot- cdev -dot- com

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