Fixed that for ya

When the Normans, who spoke a dialect of Old French, ruled over England, they changed the face of...

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:30:25 -0600

When the Normans, who spoke a dialect of Old French, ruled over England, they changed the face of English. Over the ensuing two centuries, thousands of Old French words entered English. Because the ruling class spoke Old French, that set of vocabulary became synonymous with the elite. Everyone else used Old English. During this period, England’s society was diglossic: one community, two language sets with distinct social spheres. Today, English-speakers pick and choose from the different word sets—Latinate (largely Old French borrowings) and Germanic (mostly Old English-derived words)—depending on the occasion. Although English is no longer in a diglossic relationship with another language, the Norman-era diglossia remains reflected in the way we choose and mix vocabulary. In informal chat, for example, we might go on to ask something, but in formal speech we’d proceed to inquire. There are hundreds of such pairs: match/correspond, mean/intend, see/perceive, speak/converse. Most of us choose one or the other without even thinking about the history behind the split. Germanic words are often described as earthier, simpler, and friendlier. Latinate vocabulary, on the other hand, is lofty and elite. It’s amazing that nine hundred years later, the social and political structure of 12th-century England still affects how we think about and use English.

“Unlikely Parallels”, The Economist

"The research arm of dating site OKCupid looked at 500,000 first contacts and concluded that..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:30:37 -0600

“

The research arm of dating site OKCupid looked at 500,000 first contacts and concluded that ‘netspeak, bad grammar and bad spelling are huge turn-offs’. The biggest passion killers were ‘ur’, ‘r’, ‘u’, ‘ya’ and ‘cant’. Also damaging to online suitors were ‘luv’ and ‘wat’.

On the other hand, correct use of apostrophes was appealing. Using ‘don’t’ and ‘won’t’ caused better than average response rates - 36% and 37% respectively, according to the research.

”

- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22403731
(via thththistle)

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Thu, 16 May 2013 05:30:18 -0600

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Wed, 15 May 2013 05:30:19 -0600

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Tue, 14 May 2013 05:30:30 -0600

nickkahler: Ancient Roman Floor Mosaic Orpheus and His Animals,...

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:30:46 -0600

nickkahler:

Ancient Roman Floor Mosaic Orpheus and His Animals, c. 20 CE

Tenets of the Orphic Mysteries:

Characterizing human souls as divine and immortal but doomed to live (for a period) in a “grievous circle” of successive bodily lives through metempsychosis or the transmigration of souls

Prescribing an ascetic way of life which, together with secret initiation rites, was supposed to guarantee not only eventual release from the “grievous circle” but also communion with god(s).

Warning of postmortem punishment for certain transgressions committed during life.

Being founded upon sacred writings about the origin of gods and human beings.

_

“punctuation” s.p.

Sun, 12 May 2013 05:30:34 -0600

“punctuation” s.p.

erikkwakkel: The Chained Library of Zutphen I took these...

Sat, 11 May 2013 05:30:19 -0600

erikkwakkel:

The Chained Library of Zutphen

I took these pictures during a visit to the 16th-century chained library of Zutphen, in the east of the Netherlands. It is one of three such libraries still in existence in Europe. Nothing much has changed here for 550 years.

More info: http://www.librije-zutphen.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=111

erikkwakkel: A very old bookbinding A few weeks ago I was at...

Fri, 10 May 2013 05:30:20 -0600

erikkwakkel:

A very old bookbinding

A few weeks ago I was at Liverpool University to give a workshop about medieval manuscripts. While picking out a few items the day before, I came across this beauty. It’s a mid-twelfth-century book that is still in its original binding. Bindings from this age do not survive in high numbers (in fact, it was my first encounter) so a modest splash of images is in order. I love how sturdy and plain it looks: it’s a binding and that’s what it is. The clasp is a fifteenth-century replacement.

Pics: Liverpool University, Sydney Jones Library, MS F.3.12 (Germany, c. 1150). Read more about the book (which I redated, meaning it’s now the oldest in the library) here: http://news.liv.ac.uk/2013/03/19/revealed-the-oldest-book-in-university-libraries/

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Thu, 09 May 2013 23:17:33 -0600

I demand to know what happened to your closing punctuation...

Thu, 09 May 2013 05:30:26 -0600

I demand to know what happened to your closing punctuation marks. Yeah, that’s right.

laughingsquid: Day Jobs of the Poets

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:30:31 -0600

laughingsquid:

Day Jobs of the Poets

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Tue, 07 May 2013 05:30:19 -0600

theavc: (A look at) songs that use parentheses (in mostly...

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:30:31 -0600

theavc:

(A look at) songs that use parentheses (in mostly unnecessary ways).

Inside the topsy-turvy world of contronyms

Sun, 05 May 2013 05:30:32 -0600

Inside the topsy-turvy world of contronyms:

Fourteen words that, depending on their context, can mean the opposite of what you think they mean

Audrea Huff: Is This the Future of Punctuation!? - WSJ.com

Sat, 04 May 2013 05:30:32 -0600

Audrea Huff: Is This the Future of Punctuation!? - WSJ.com:

audreahuff:

Punctuation arouses strong feelings. You have probably come across the pen-wielding vigilantes who skulk around defacing movie posters and amending handwritten signs that advertise “Rest Room’s” or “Puppy’s For Sale.”

People fuss about punctuation not only because it clarifies meaning but…

Run-on sentences are also freaking annoying and also it is a...

Fri, 03 May 2013 05:30:28 -0600

Run-on sentences are also freaking annoying and also it is a good idea to use quotation marks or italics to write about words as words it is a freaking problem for lots of people.

chamaedaphne: 12th-century painters - Meditations of St Anselm...

Thu, 02 May 2013 05:30:30 -0600

chamaedaphne:

12th-century painters - Meditations of St Anselm

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Wed, 01 May 2013 05:30:23 -0600

dionysiaque: Dionysian procession led by a Maenad,...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:30:29 -0600

dionysiaque:

Dionysian procession led by a Maenad, Rome circa AD 100, British Museum. The retinue is his thiasus (thiasos). Dionysus is the figure on the left. He is attended by a leopard or similar exotic animal and holds a thrysus (thrysos) in his right hand and an animal skin in his left.