Question: do you Americans pronounce these words identically? Cuz, I don’t run into this problem, by virtue of pronouncing the former moot and the latter myoot.
Typically no, though with the tendency to be lazy with pronounciation, it can become an issue
I don’t mean to interfere with your rant, but I guess those gates were let down at least around Elizabethan times.
And, since I’m taking my turn as the pedant…
There’s no such word as syntaxically. I think you wanted syntactically.
Muahahaha. There’s nothing more thrilling than correcting grammar (and spelling) in a grammar thread. Now someone take a shot at me, if you dare.
Attack of the Homonyms again!
Weather and Whether
(this is one of the few homonym issues even I am guilty of from time to time)
Oh, sweet!
Another pedantic opportunity!
Weather and whether are more properly homophones, not homonyms.
Whee!
DOH! hangs head in shame
And I was feeling sooooo very smart
My shot at emulsified, courtesy of www.dictionary.com:
[emphasis added]
While homophone is a correct name for this phenomenon, so is homonym.
Boo-yah!
Daniel
That’s a matter of opinion, asshole.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=syntaxically&btnG=Google+Search
Like I said earlier, a language evolves or it dies. As do posters who simply instigate and insult others.
That’s two strikes…
I don’t have as much emotion tied to the issue as you do, apparently, t-keela, (at least not enough to call you names) but I would think that when correct spelling is the matter at hand, the dictionary trumps Google as a citable source. Sorry to have offended you, though.
And re DanielWinthrow, please note that I was careful to qualify my pedantic nitpick by saying homophone was the “more proper” term, which I think dictionary.com would support. (Thanks for not calling me an asshole, though.)
t-keela–you might want to lighten up, even if you are right.
As it happens, I don’t think you are. Finding examples of a word via google doesn’t mean it’s a word–it may just mean that others use the same misspelling. My search was to go to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, which does not list ‘syntaxically’, for what it’s worth.
And by the way–trying to put this gently–maybe I missed it, but I didn’t notice anyone being insulting, other than the poster who called another an ‘asshole’. look just above my post
Hee hee – strike two! There’s only one “n” in my user name! Boo-yah!
I don’t think dictionary.com supports your reading, because both terms are proper. If somebody says, “Hey, the grocery store has nice melons today,” and you respond, “they’re more properly called watermelons,” you’re incorrect. Since they’re properly called “melons,” “watermelons” isn’t a more proper term.
Similarly, since “whether” and “weather” are properly called homonyms, they’re not more properly called homophones. They’re ALSO properly called homophones. But that’s not a correction-worthy offense.
I try not to take joy in correcting other folks’ grammar – but boy howdy do I love sticking it in the eye of folks who DO correct other folks’ grammar. And you did, after all, invite us to take our best shot :D.
That said, anyone who gets bent out of shape about having their grammar corrected in a grammar-rant thread needs a nice long hot bath.
Daniel
“Syntaxically” looks like a word used primarily by programmers: as such, it may qualify as a neologism, useful to programmers because of its closer similarity to “syntax,” an obviously important word in programming. My grammar-nazi instinct tell me it’s hunky-dory in this context.
But in pomo writings and other non-programming contexts, I see no reason not to use the traditional “syntactically.”
Daniel
Well, nuts. I could argue more, but instead, I will humbly submit on the homonym/homophone issue. trochai, continue to use either in good health.
And now, having made my hundredth post, I will go back to lurking. I’m getting a headache trying not to make any grammatical errors.
P.S. Sorry for misspelling your username.
emulsified and DanielWithrow thanks for the clarifications… and emulsified, I was completely ready to submit to your grammar skills before Daniel corrected you
No problem – it’s all in good fun!
Daniel
i.e., the geek who thinks grammar is good fun
Why is there still so much prejudice against homonyms? Maybe the rest of the words are just insecure and think they have to take it out on others which…
Oh. Never mind.
Another spelling error:
“Mabey”. I have a friend who always writes “maybe” as “mabey”. It drives me nuts.
Yeah, you’re right. I apologize for the offensive remark. It’s been a long damned week.
Although, you did provoke the response. I was originally trying to make the point that languages are not “hard wired” so to speak. They are subject to change with the introduction of new generations, cultures and technology. Once upon a time, the word ain’t was also not a “real” word.
Here in Texas, we use “Howdy” as a regular greeting. Yet, in most parts of the U.S. it is not generally used. Times change, so does our vocabulary.
I’ll not go on with this, except to say… (don’t ya’ love those ellipsis?)
Syntactically-deals with the properties of languages in general
Syntaxically-deals with the specific patterns and rules of structure within a given language (also logistics, which is where the computer def. comes into play)
Hey, get a new dictionary…I only Googled it to show that it really is a word. There are several others I could have used instead.
Sorry if I offended…
BTW, this is a pit thread, right?
So, what’s everybody getting so upset about?
Hey, I’m an asshole too, but that’s another thread…