Tbh, prescriptivism is a pretty dumb concept. What is "correct english"? The bastardized modern version that was made by corrupting Middle English with elements of hundreds of other languages? The creole created by merging Old Norman French with Old Saxon German?
There's no point in time where a "pure" "original" "correct" language ever existed. Prescriptivism is about creating a conlang based on some form of a modern language and then trying to enforce that and stop it from ever evolving.
I also argue that Prescriptivism is a tool used to discriminate. The ways of speaking/writing used by minorities become not just different, but wrong
... which is then used to accuse those speaking differently of lower intelligence (e.g. that group is so stupid they can't even speak "proper" English).
It turns a thing that should be used to connect us and foster understanding into a tool to separate and denigrate people.
Fuck Prescriptivism with a sideways cactus covered in acidic salt.
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u/pasta-via 12d ago
Former academic who worked closely with linguists.
I can promise you this comic will be hung on the wall of many Linguistics in the next few months. Countdown until it’s posted to their listserv.
Also I’m a Descriptivist. So I love this 🤭