Fewer

[Digby]

is it a dead word? I rarely see it being used and often hear/see 'less' where fewer would be correct.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

is it a dead word? I rarely see it being used and often hear/see 'less' where fewer would be correct.

No, it's not a dead word. Many languages have, in recorded history, undergone a process of vocabulary constriction. It's a natural process that emphasizes convenience at the cost of semantic depth. It's happening now, and it will continue to happen.

Jim

 

[HoweSound]

One of my pet peeves - less when fewer should apply. Supermarket check-outs all get it wrong; it's nine items or fewer.

 

[fpitas]

Fewer people are using it.

 

[Digby]

No, it's not a dead word. Many languages have, in recorded history, undergone a process of vocabulary constriction. It's a natural process that emphasizes convenience at the cost of semantic depth. It's happening now, and it will continue to happen

So dying, if not dead?

 

[Digby]

Supermarket check-outs all get it wrong; it's nine items or fewer.

Is this a vicious circle (cycle?), in that fewer might be understood by fewer people, so less is used instead, but we fast approach the point where a significant proportion (a majority?) aren't even aware of the difference.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

So dying, if not dead?

Most probably. Think of it in terms of born vs. borne, or the correct use of the apostrophe. (There's one that's dead!) You may have heard the maxim that language is always evolving. I would prefer to say that language is always changing, but not necessarily evolving.

In my view, it's the law of the lowest common denominator ... unfortunately.

Jim

 

[HoweSound]

The concept of entropy may apply to language.

 

[ta240]

In my view, it's the law of the lowest common denominator ... unfortunately.

The internet, making things worse since 2007.

 

[ta240]

One of my pet peeves - less when fewer should apply. Supermarket check-outs all get it wrong; it's nine items or fewer.

Less is fewer letters so it fits better

These are the same store that makes signs with things in quotes like: "Fresh" Bread, thinking that gives emphasis to the word fresh.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Fewer people are using it.

That’s one way of looking at it. I reckon more people are using it less.

 

[Deleted member 21114]

Less is literally more.

 

[JPA]

Uh oh. You're in danger of unleashing my inner grammar Kraken. My current pet peeve is the way "get" has taken the place of "become", "receive", "achieve" and probably 10 other words. In the future the English language will consist of only one word -- get -- at least in the US. The UK still seems to have some respect for their language.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Uh oh. You're in danger of unleashing my inner grammar Kraken. My current pet peeve is the way "get" has taken the place of "become", "receive", "achieve" and probably 10 other words. In the future the English language will consist of only one word -- get -- at least in the US. The UK still seems to have some respect for their language.

Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Get with the program or get out. Otherwise you may get what’s coming to you. Got it?

 

[ivayvr]

I believe that spell checkers also have something to do with changes and reducing literacy. I am an ESL speaker and I keep noticing how often "there" and "their" are used interchangeably . Not directly related to the "less" or "fewer" but part of the process....

 

[staticV3]

seems to be past its prime:

 

[AudiOhm]

A lot of things have changed.

In Track and Field you commonly hear, 9.58s as 9 point fifty-eight seconds.
I grew up with this pronunciation, 9.58 as 9 point five eight seconds...

Ohms

 

[MRC01]

My grammar teacher said if you can count' em, then it's "fewer". Fewer fish but less water. Or when it comes to amps, fewer knobs but less power.
Another pet peeve of mine is who vs. whom. It seems people haven't been learning about grammatical case for the past few decades.
Yet my latest annoyance is people saying they are "humbled" when receiving an award. That means nearly the opposite of what they think. For example when someone says he is "humbled" to be invited to present at a conference, it implies he was expecting something greater, perhaps to give the keynote.

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

grammar teacher

This^^^
Grammar is no longer taught.

 

[Timcognito]

As the dyslexic guy, the further we go this topic the farther I will stay away. Unwatching now. Spellcheck doesn't like unwatch.