Linguistics and American usage

["Dominguez, Richard" <Dominguezr -at- BIS -dot- ADP -dot- COM>]

According to Wilson Follet, in his book "Modern American Usage", there are
two categories of linguists: "prescriptive (the old school) and descriptive
(the permissive new school)."  Those of the permissive school "hold that
anything uttered by a native speaker (in any language) is ipso facto correct
and that language knows no right and wrong."  Those of the old school (not
referring to age, here, just belief) believe that "good usage is what people
who think and care about words believe [it] to be."  Their belief does not
make them pedants.  He adds, "to become sensibly self-conscious about words
is more important than to memorize and act on this or that suggestion
without thought."  So, it is incumbent upon us as straight thinking writers
(technical or otherwise) to look, listen and think about what it is we are
writing.  Our straight thinking begs for correct usage based on logic,
tradition, clarity or tact.  To those of the permissive school, Follet adds:
"It would be a curious state of affairs if only those who seldom think about
words they use, who read little, and who 'cannot be bothered' with
distinctions should be the [only] ones with full powers over vocabulary and
syntax."  If you do not have time to think about what you are speaking or
writing, you are far too busy.  Surely we can all make our way through
without good usage and the rules that underscore it, but good usage
contributes heavily to making the world more polite, productive and livable
in.

Rich Dominguez
Technical Editor
ICI/ADP
dominguezr -at- bis -dot- adp -dot- com


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