
Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage – David Foster Wallace (2001) [pdf] - dwcnnnghm
https://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/HarpersMagazine-2001-04-0070913.pdf
======
dwcnnnghm
The discussion on Ghoti[0] around language standardisation reminded me of this
essay. It's a review of an American Usage Dictionary[1] that centers primarily
around the question of the purpose of dictionaries (as a prescription for the
way language should be used, or as a record of use).

The post links to Harper's hosted scan of the original printing but it's a
little difficult to read. There is a copy meant for screens [2] (under the
title _Authority and American Usage_ , subtitled _or "Politics and the English
Language" Is Redundant_, as it was published in his collection of essays
_Consider the Lobster_ [3]).

[0]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23581841](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23581841)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garner%27s_Modern_English_Usag...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garner%27s_Modern_English_Usage)

[2] [https://github.com/borges-paradise/DFW/blob/master/dfw-
autho...](https://github.com/borges-paradise/DFW/blob/master/dfw-authority-
american-usage.pdf)

[3]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consider_the_Lobster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consider_the_Lobster)

