70 Year Magazine Archive

Thoroughly Traditional .Robert

by O. Bowen

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They believe not only in The People (“the ultimate arbiters of our linguistic standards,” in the words of the Editor-in-Chief), but in Progress. Language, like all things, will advance of itself, and our only task is “to keep up with our changing standard of language,” with “up-to-date English that no prescriptive rules can interfere with” The lexicographer is part Gallup, part IBM machine, part voting booth. He does not need to

DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON: . . defined, where the new dictionary only multiplies similar words.” think and choose. The future is shaping itself: “It is now fairly clear that before the twentieth century is over every community of the world will have learned how to communicate with all the rest of humanity.” It would be “interfering” for Editor Philip Gove to get under the wheels of Language’s proud advance. The best he can do is contribute to the growth of Esperanto by filling his pages with RB, RBC, etc.

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