Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by jdmichal on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @05:28PM
(#14456081)
"Ye Olde English" is a funny example, because the use of "y" here is actually a replacement for thorn (Þ) that was introduced with the printing press.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y#Confusion_in_writing_with_th...
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by kafkaesq on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @04:41PM
(#14455731)
I get your drift, but it depends on the context. If you're communicating with Prince fans (or you are Prince), substitutions like U, 4, 2, etc might be appropriate. If you're applying for a job (even as Prince's sound engineer), maybe not so much.
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by 21 on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @05:11PM
(#14455950)
As a non-native, I find "u" closer to the actual pronunciation than "you".
Re:English is weirdly different from other languages
by jdmichal on Wednesday May 31, 2017 @05:26PM
(#14456064)
The pronunciation is /ju/, so I would think that "you" is a closer rendition. The only reason "u" works is because we happen to pronounce the name of that letter exactly the same: /ju/. So it's being used as a non-traditional digraph.
It's the same pattern as using "8" in examples like "g8 b8 m8 I r8 it 8/8". Here "8" is serving as a non-traditional trigraph /eɪt/.
I also don't like it when people write "u" instead of "you", etc, but it's how languages move. If you're going to cling to the past, you may as well write in Ye Olde English -- because eventually that's what you'll sound like.