I need some help

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by Brianna

You don't have to be a Grammar Nazi to refuse to accept ebonics and txspk. Even I refuse those. When I meet or have to deal with people who talk the "shit" lingo if I don't understand them, I just say: "I totally did not understand anything you said." and leave it to them to attempt English.

Language's function is to convey ideas verbally. If you can't understand someone that you need/want to communicate with then yes that is a "Bad Thing" but it doesn't make the language they speak "Bad" and your language "Superior".

When people cannot communicate and there is sufficient pressure to do so they form a pidgin (they meld their languages until they communicate sufficiently well for the intended purpose). If the members of these two(or more) languages are in contact continually for a generation or more then their offspring will pick up the pidgin and turn it in to a full fledged language.

My point being, simply, that language evolves and standing in the way of this process does nothing but make you appear ignorant. If folks want me to list some sources for my statements here I would be glad to provide you with stacks of references and historical anecdotes.

(Note: this isn't directed at Brianna in particular -- her post made a good jumping off point for my ranting)