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Prescriptive vs Descriptive linguistics
Quick lesson on descriptive vs prescriptive linguistics. Prescriptive linguistics states that there is an explicit set or rules about language that people should follow. Descriptive linguistics states that the rules themselves are defined by how people use language.
A classic example is the phrase "can I go to the bathroom?"
A prescriptivist would argue that the word "can" doesn't fit here because unless there is some medical condition, of course you "can" go to the bathroom. Thus the word should be "may".
A descriptivist would argue that "can I go to the bathroom" is just fine. There is no real ambiguity of meaning. It's a very commonly used phrase, and thus it is correct.
Do you consider yourself a prescriptive or descriptive linguist?




Please do not tell me, "I did good." That's not possible. You might have done well...
But I'm not one that feels it necessary to correct others. I just cringe inside.
Ha--I totally understand. I feel the same way every time someone says "begs the question" when they mean "poses the question." I am also a "cringes but does not correct" type.
I consider myself descriptive. But there are definitely uses that grate on my ears.
Descriptive! Usage shapes language.
I like knowing the rules and I used to be pretty uptight about them. But I've relaxed over the years. People bending and breaking the rules is what makes languages so full of life in the first place.
I love thinking about language as a living thing.
I'm more of less of the opinion that language is used to convey information so if your meaning comes across clearly it doesn't matter how you're saying it.
I tend to agree with you. Especially in spoken conversation.
I generally prescribe to prescriptive linguistics for formal writing and to descriptive linguistics for spoken language and informal writing. But then I use a certain amount of slang in writing and I cringe at bad oral usage too, so I have to embrace some contradictions.
I feel like everyone has those things that just... bug them. Even if you're totally on the side of descriptivism you'll still have things that you consider wrong. It's an impulse I'm having to learn to contain lol.
Cognitive dissonance is a thing.
I wish life and language were more prescriptive, but it's just not realistic. The masses want it to be flexible, fluid, and alive. Womp womp.
What is it about prescriptive-ness that appeals to you?
A sense of order is always nice. Also, I do feel like literature suffers a bit when we continuously simplify if. (The irony of calling it descriptive in this case is not lost on me!)
There is definitely an allure to a world of absolutes.
I'm really a conflicted combination of both, but I suppose I lean more to the descriptive side.
It's pretty understandable. Our school system definitely indoctrinates us with prescriptive-ism. But descriptive-ism makes so much sense!
Prescriptive. I'm old.
It's why I'm asking. I want a variety of opinions!
I'm not sure it can be one or the other.
Living languages are always evolving, so being overly prescriptive is a pedantry up with which I will not put--har har. It's also a losing battle.
But you have to understand the rules to break them. It's only descriptive if you know you're doing it.
I think there are people that break the rules without knowing them. I'm not sure I understand your second point.
In general, I'd say that's a fair comment. In the context of the question, however--"are you prescriptive or descriptive"--I would suggest you can't claim either position without a basis of understanding. Does that make more sense?
Yes. If you don't understand prescriptive grammatical rules, then you don't really understand how they are being broken. Thus you don't really understand what prescriptive vs descriptive actually means.
I'm not sure I agree on that second point - people do an awful lot of things linguistically that they aren't aware of, after all.
I do think that in for example storytelling/writing the more 'rules' you know the more you can consciously decide if you want to break them for a reason.
Ha, yes. I just replied to @TheOtherSideOfThePillow about this very thing. My response questions whether one can claim a position of being a "descriptive linguist" without understanding what that entails.
Of course, most people have no interest in claiming either position--and fair enough!
Would "gay" and "queer" be examples of this? A prescriptivist would say that "gay" means 'happy' and "queer" means 'weird' or 'odd' right?
I... don't know that that'd be the case? I mean, even prescriptive meanings do eventually change with the times, they don't necessarily cling to meanings that are outdated. For example, while at the moment there's the "NO, literally doesn't mean figuratively that's wrong stop it!" vs "Eh that's how people are using it" fight, I don't think there's any real argument to be had about the shift of meanings for "gay" and "queer". (At least, not in American English which I am most familiar with, living here)
tbh I hear the term most often used for prescriptive grammar rules, such as "don't end a sentence with a preposition" or "never begin a sentence with and." On the other hand descriptivists would point out that native English speakers do both of those all the time and most people don't seem to find them jarring or ungrammatical.
I think at one point the modern uses of gay and queer were in the realm of descriptive vs prescriptive. But the modern usage has taken over original meanings so completely, that the modern definitions are both prescriptive and descriptive.
I'm studying ling so yeah I gotta go with descriptive for shore~!
Even with the living nature of language, this community is important because we all suffer if our vocabulary becomes shallow. Maybe in ten years we will look back and think some of the definitions need to change!
I would say I'm mostly prescriptive, I have some definite feelings about proper grammatical usage of words like 'whom' and I am a huge fan of the Oxford comma, but I'm also really interested in how descriptive use of language can become prescriptive. I'm very much a 'both and' kind of individual. That and the evolution of thee/thou from informal language to formal language is a fascinating demonstration of how descriptive use can become prescriptive, in some senses.
Hmm descriptive becomes prescriptive. I'm not sure that I understand what you're saying with that.
Oh jeez, I voted the wrong thing by accident. Descriptive linguistics all the way!
I won't report you to the linguist police.
Not going to lie. I'm a little sad I got 23 comments but only three upvotes.
Hahaa sorry, I'm trying to get out of the rut of just liking/hearting/kudosing without ever commenting, but that doesn't mean I should withhold those now does it? ;)