Language Liberal

Sometimes I walk right by stuff without seeing it. Monica Macaulay just noted that a recent Language Log post points out something relevant to Verbism. It's a quote from an article by Christopher Orlet, "Grammar for Smarties" in The American Spectator, 1/11/2005 (he's also a columnist for Vocabula Review, if you need more reason to love the guy).

Indeed, the battle cry of the language liberal might be, "Languages change. Get over it." Most linguists judge that language change is neither good nor bad, and, anyway, resistance is futile. Languages, like hemlines, will change whether we want them to or not.

Monica notes quite rightly that this is dangerously close to the motto of this blog. A little less artful, I'd argue. But do hemlines changes regardless of human intention and involvement?

Thanks, Monica.