Follow Us on Google
A Dynamic Language
The awareness of change is of great importance for every user. English is a dynamic language. Many Nigerians parriot this fact. But how many of them are aware of the dynamics, the current tendencies and inflencies in the language? That is the big question.
The word “dynamic” is used in its accepted figurative sense of “possessing energy and forcefulness”. The use of the word implies that the language is not static, and that it adapts itself to usage and to the demands made upon it by the users. And here lies the strength of any living language. A language that cannot meet the demands will die. And here, too, are the pitfalls.
The competent user of language must not be static, no! He must be aware of the change, and must be aware of the continuous pattern of change. And this is what President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and his party, the APC, are preaching for political, social, economic and linguistic change, now!
Repeat again or repeat?
Good morning sir,
Please, I will want you to answer this question. Is it correct to say “repeat again” as one lawyer insisted yesterday in our discussion? Thanks for being there for Nigeria. +2348069144670.
Usage Notes: We correctly say or write: “repeat” or “say again” or “say it again”, “begin again”. In Germanism: “Widerholen sie bitte”, meaning, “please repeat”.
Who or whom?
Good morning sir,
Please, help me quickly to consider this expression: “I have a newphew who or whom I brought up from childhood”. Please, which world is correct – who or whom? I need an answer urgently sir. – +2349086539424.
Usage Note: The answer is: “I have a newphew who I brought up from childhood”. Another note: “whom”, like “a lot”, “a lot of”, has been declared obsolescent, that is, going out of the language. Currently, what is right is: To whom, from whom, in whom, on whom, with whom, of whom, for whom, etc (The Dative or Ablative case).
“Who” and “whom” cause problems, “who” is the subject of a verb (the Nominative case). E. g. “Who told you?”. It was you who told her. The girls who took part in the play were all invited to the party.
“Whom” is the object (the accusative case) of a verb or of a preposition. E.g. “The people from whom he stole reported him to the police”.
However, in modern Usage, “whom” is falling into disuse, especially in questions, except in formal contexts. “Who” is used instead even though it is ungrammatical! E.g. “The man whom you saw yesterday is my newphew”. “The person to whom he spoke is the General Manager”. “The girl to whom she gave the book is the secretary of the firm”.
“Whom do men say that I am?” is incorrect (Matthew 16:15), a rare example of an error, the only error, in the Holy Bible. Fortunately, the Revisers of the Bible (Revised Standard Version) have corrected the error: “Who do men say I am?” (Matthew 16:15) is correct.
The onset of or the outset?
Security experts are of the opinion that this is a very sensitive and dangerous stage in the confrontation with the deadly Boko Harram group, whose activities have resulted in the death of over 20, 000 people since the “onset” (outset) of the uprising in 2009.
In an earlier incident in December 2016, at Madagali Market, about 95 kilometers “to” (from) Maidugari, 57 people were killed, while 177 others, including children, were injured when two female suicide bombers detonated their bombs. – The PUNCH EDITORIAL February 10, 2017. Special notes on grammar and usage; We correctly say or write: “from the outset / since the outset of” but “the onset of” (the disease).
Besides, we correctly say or write: Madagali Market is about 95 kilometres from Maiduguri (not “to Maiduguri”). Lagos is 120 kilometres from Ibadan (not “to Ibadan”).
Man on the street or man in the street?
These “folks” (folk) all remind me of my Sunday School days where we “learnt” (learned) the story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal.
President Muhammadu Buhari, to me, seems to have become a typology of Baal, the god in which prophets – professors, columnists intellectuals, pastors, political advocates, poets, civil society activities, thinkers, man “on” (in) the street, and millions of voters who wanted a change – put their trust. People put themselves out for Buhari; some “folks” (folk) invested the credibility they had spent years garnering to vouch for Buhari.
A lot or much?
They – the people who worked assiduously on Buhari’s campaign – thought that if Buhari assembled the right team, he could cure Nigeria of its malady. To me, that was not “a lot” (much / a great deal) to expect.
Each time I come across a fervent Buhari “supporter” expressing regret “they” (he / she0 voted for him and also encouraged others to do the same, I see another one of Baal’s Prophets asking “him /herself” (himself or herself) what is the worth of a god that abandons his own prophets? – The PUNCH, February 9, 2017. Notes on grammar and usage: “folk” is plural but when Americans talk of their family members, they use “folks”.
“Man in the street”, meaning “a typical or an average person” in the street, is a formal (fixed) idiom. “Man on the street” is American English (AE)! I repeat, in Nigeria, we follow British Standard English (BSE).
“Buhari “supporter” expressed regret “they” voted for him is insanity, the very height of madness, some users of the language prefer to be ungrammatical and use a plural pronoun with a singular noun, e.g. “Every pupil should take their books home”. It is madness, insanity!
“Everyone (or Everybody) brought their partner to the party” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary) is insanity, the very height of madness, “Everyone (or Everybody) brought his/her partner to the party” is standard, grammatical English.
(S) he or she/he?
Same people say that a baby doesn’t begin to thrive until “(s) he” (he or she/she or he) is christened; and it has become, for some people, a sort of rite of passage, a hurdle to be jumped in order to secure good fortune for the child. – FROM THIS MONTH WE Celebrate by Ann Easter (page 15).
Someone – – – know them or someone – – – know him/her?
It’s a shame that the handshake is not so popular now as a form of greetings, as that was an easy way to give “someone” the warmth of touch even if you didn’t know “them” (him or her) so well (page 20).
Does “(s) he” (he or she or she/he) make me feel confident and proud of myself, or does “(s)he” (he or she/she/he) make me cringe with embarrassment, or shrink with fear (page 27).
Her – or himself or herself or himself?
In the best sort of marriage, partnership, each partner is free to be entirely “her – or himself” (himself or herself or herself/himself), and in that freedom can discover things about self, partner and perhaps even God (page 28).
Reasons why or reasons?
However, there is no denying that one of the “reasons why” (reasons) there are some weddings these days is that people get married more than once. I believe that this has “a lot” (much/so much/ a great deal) to do with the fact that people live longer (page 29).
Albeit or although?
On the one hand we have the rich, privileged male using his cultural rights to secure healing – on the other the penniless – the woman who touched Jesus’s clothes had spent all her money on doctors – isolated female, relying solely upon the still small voice of faith within her in the hope of a return to her, “albeit” (although) limited, life (page 41).
To take a “nice” service – “Nice” in this case means that I have to be willing to contact the bereaved family before the funeral, so that I can make note of any special features of the deceased, not least the name by which “(s) he” (he or she) was known (page 45).
The Second World War or World War II?
My father’s “older” (elder) sister’s husbands and his brothers became father substitutes, and, just after starting work in the Graving Dock at fourteen, “the Second World War” (World War II or WW II) began (page 67). Notes on usage: “albeit”, meaning “although”, is very old – fashioned.
We correctly say or write World War I (WW I); World War II (WW II).
American President or the U.S. President?
Notably, it was revealed during the campaign for the “American” (United States/U.S) presidency last year that Democratic Party nominee, Hillary Clinton, had pneumonia, William Harrison, the ninth “American” (United States) President, died in office after just one month in office in 1841. – The PUNCH EDITORIAL, February 9, 2017. Note: It is the U.S. President (not “American President”).
