Language is defined by how it's used, if it's common for people to say "less" then that is correct. Trying to define the only "correct" usage counter to how people actually use the language is prescriptivism, which rarely changes how people actually speak. The only real use of prescriptivism is elitism.
You clearly understood what was said, you just wanted to announce you're "better" at English.
Hard disagree; it's not a useful comment precisely because it's prescriptivism. It's suggesting people are incorrect because they're using a commonly accepted meaning of a word, that's just not how language works.
Edit: Perhaps I should be clearer. The "less vs fewer" rule was invented roughly 200 years ago and doesn't actually hold true, "less" has been used this way for far longer. It's the epitome of "I want English to work this way, fuck everyone else".
According to this list it was used figuratively by Jane Austen, who I believe died more than 200 years ago. That page also claims the earliest known use is 1769, so it's probably less than 300 years in writing? It's moot either way, if you're going for an etymological argument you could go further and say literally should mean anything to do with letters or writing, from the original Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing".
10 Comments
deranger@sh.itjust.works · 33 pts · 2y
Fewer* people. If you can count it, it’s fewer. If not, it’s less, e.g. less money, fewer dollars.
foiledAgain@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
Thanks Stannis
atro_city@fedia.io · 1 pts · 2y
What the equivalent opposite of fewer?
artichokecustard@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
manyer
elbarto777@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
my_hat_stinks@programming.dev · -5 pts · 2y
Language is defined by how it's used, if it's common for people to say "less" then that is correct. Trying to define the only "correct" usage counter to how people actually use the language is prescriptivism, which rarely changes how people actually speak. The only real use of prescriptivism is elitism.
You clearly understood what was said, you just wanted to announce you're "better" at English.
elbarto777@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y
my_hat_stinks@programming.dev · 1 pts · 2y
Hard disagree; it's not a useful comment precisely because it's prescriptivism. It's suggesting people are incorrect because they're using a commonly accepted meaning of a word, that's just not how language works.
Edit: Perhaps I should be clearer. The "less vs fewer" rule was invented roughly 200 years ago and doesn't actually hold true, "less" has been used this way for far longer. It's the epitome of "I want English to work this way, fuck everyone else".
elbarto777@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
my_hat_stinks@programming.dev · 2 pts · 2y
According to this list it was used figuratively by Jane Austen, who I believe died more than 200 years ago. That page also claims the earliest known use is 1769, so it's probably less than 300 years in writing? It's moot either way, if you're going for an etymological argument you could go further and say literally should mean anything to do with letters or writing, from the original Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing".
elbarto777@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
themaninblack@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
yu dont even not understand how to not speak good yerself
Edit: *talk
sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al · 23 pts · 2y
Pretty much all dating apps are owned by Match. If that monopoly is broken, it'll be good for everyone.
Commenting to remind myself to come back to this later.
AssaultPepper@monero.town · 5 pts · 2y
Kinda sad they didn't cover Thursday as it's got a unique feature set compared to the incumbents with most of your interaction being offline.