Desperate grammaticians

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Geektastic

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#1480672 28-Jan-2016 14:10

sbiddle:

One of my biggest pet hates is the incorrect use of plurals for Maori words. One very common case of this is the use for those in Wellington is the use of the of the word "Rimutakas" to describe the Rimutaka hill road. Even NZTA ads on the radio right now talk about "roadworks on the Rimutakas".

There was debate last year over Rimutaka actually not meaning anything in Maori (it should be Remutaka) but it doesn't change the fact that people are trying to make a Maori word a plural, something the language doesn't have.

Even in English it makes no sense making it a plural - there is only one hill and one mountain range!

I could fix that! Let's rename it the Hillary Range instead....

Rikkitic

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#1480690 28-Jan-2016 14:55

Or we could call it the Hilarious Hill.

I don't think there is ever a bad time to talk about how absurd war is, how old men make decisions and young people die. - George Clooney

BTR

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#1480704 28-Jan-2016 15:35

Rikkitic:

I have given up expecting anyone under the age of 60, or anyone raised in New Zealand, to use correct English grammar. 10 year-old Hong Kong schoolchildren learning English as a second language speak it better than native speakers here. It is a tragedy, but that is just the way it is.

Your not English are you?

Geektastic

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#1480726 28-Jan-2016 16:28

BTR:

Rikkitic:

I have given up expecting anyone under the age of 60, or anyone raised in New Zealand, to use correct English grammar. 10 year-old Hong Kong schoolchildren learning English as a second language speak it better than native speakers here. It is a tragedy, but that is just the way it is.

Your not English are you?

Good one...

MikeB4

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#1480808 28-Jan-2016 18:09

Geektastic:
sbiddle:

One of my biggest pet hates is the incorrect use of plurals for Maori words. One very common case of this is the use for those in Wellington is the use of the of the word "Rimutakas" to describe the Rimutaka hill road. Even NZTA ads on the radio right now talk about "roadworks on the Rimutakas".

There was debate last year over Rimutaka actually not meaning anything in Maori (it should be Remutaka) but it doesn't change the fact that people are trying to make a Maori word a plural, something the language doesn't have.

Even in English it makes no sense making it a plural - there is only one hill and one mountain range!

I could fix that! Let's rename it the Hillary Range instead....

Rimutaka is a good name, no need to change. We could however change Wellington to Te whanganui a tara

Mike
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The views stated in my posts are my personal views and not that of any other organisation.

He waka eke noa

turnin

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#1481633 30-Jan-2016 10:01

I've yet to find a programming language that allows for gramatical or spelling errors.
On this basis I support the earlier proposed view that the education system has progressively collapsed . Yet programming is one of the few professions left that hold hope for future, disruption free employment.
Newspapers make serious gramatical errors on a daily basis ; texting also promotes spelling and grammar leniency.

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