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A comment on Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage. Parent comment

Re:Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage by epochwolf on Saturday December 18, 2010 @08:26AM (#2019448)
Because english isn't as standardized as we would like to think. The written and spoken forms are not a one to one translation. Written english could almost be classify as a seperate language that happens to share words and similar syntax. At least the written version has a modest level of standardization. The spoken language is very fragmented.
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Re:Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage by Qz on Saturday December 18, 2010 @08:36AM (#2019467)
From a linguistics standpoint, all paired written and spoken versions of languages are considered separate languages.
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Re:Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage by samatman on Saturday December 18, 2010 @10:23AM (#2019596)
"at least the written version has a modest level of standardization"

O rly?

srsly, tho, there are lotz of ways English is writ, la?

thks cellphones! lol

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Re:Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage by Mithrandir on Saturday December 18, 2010 @08:38AM (#2019468)
I wasn't referring to spoken language. I meant when people try to literally "write like they speak" and end up sounding ridiculous because, as you said, written English could almost be another language.
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Re:Stack Exchange for English Language and Usage by hellrich on Saturday December 18, 2010 @11:45AM (#2019709)
Several, don't forget dialects.
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