'Alot' should be considered a valid word

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by Giambattista, Jan 30, 2010.

?

Should "ALOT" be considered a word?

  1. Yes

    3 vote(s)
    27.3%

  2. No

    5 vote(s)
    45.5%

  3. It doesn't really matter either way, people will use it if they want!

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  4. Anyone answering "Yes" should be guillotined.

    3 vote(s)
    27.3%
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  1. Acitnoids

    Acitnoids Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    704
    No, texpeak has and will evolve all on its own. Hell, I just found out what j/k stood for. I'm not arguing against the fact "a lot" is the correct spelling even if I think "alot" makes the sentence flow better.
    Way to cast the mold. And I thought satirical cartoons were lost on everyone.

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    Acitnoids, Jan 31, 2010
    #21

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  3. Giambattista

    Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
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    Yes. Then there's that.

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    Ah. The voice of reason.
     
    Giambattista, Jan 31, 2010
    #22

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  5. Giambattista

    Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

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    It didn't sound like such a great comparison, did it? I think the "idiot" part was being directed at me. It was at least a strange choice of words for the example.

    Good...

    Totally excellent! You obviously understand the spirit of what I'm trying to say!:bravo:
     
    Giambattista, Jan 31, 2010
    #23

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  7. Giambattista

    Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

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    Typing with thumbs sounds really clumsy and silly. I'm sure anyone who wrote a fair amount using that method is probably a really interesting person with really interesting things to say.
     
    Giambattista, Jan 31, 2010
    #24
  8. Giambattista

    Giambattista sssssssssssssssssssssssss sssss Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
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    Did you make that up? I seriously like it. This may sound corny, but I would like to use the phrase in the future. I will just have to find the right circumstance.

    People say, I say, you say, they say, We say... say this, say that...

    It seems that there are many forms of "say" whereas "a lot" is basically a single concept. Besides, it's a verb. In Italian, you can say simply diciamo for "we say", or dicono for "they say" without denoting the subject or person who is speaking. It's different conjugation for the same verb. With "a lot" or "alot" there is no tense or person and it basically means the same thing across the board. But if you want to join subject and verb then please do.
    I just don't find that comparison truly applicable. It could be, though. On a complicated level. I think what I'm talking about here is much more simple.

    Same with "burgers and fries". Two different things that don't necessarily go together and a concept that some might find absolutely foreign. You're just joining two nouns together. Any whimsical, conceivable noun combination could be created using that line of thinking. It is combining many differing concepts (subjects, articles, verbs, conjuctions, etc.) into one longer word. An entire sentence could be one entire word. There would be a literal infinity of words that could be made from that formula.
    To the contrary "a lot" basically always means the same thing as "alot". It's only a difference of spelling. It is a very simple and concise construct.

    Your point is well made. We're talking about an article and noun combination that is always used in the same way to convey the same thing, basically being used as an adverb or noun to denote either frequency or quantity.
     
    Giambattista, Jan 31, 2010
    #25
  9. Fraggle Rocker

    Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,690
    Trust your spell checker. Any errors were fixed long ago in Release 1.1 .

    In English we generally do not retain a silent E when adding a suffix:
    Like/likable Raze/razor Use/usage Dose/Dosage

    The exception is when the silent E must be retained to soften a C or a G:
    Service/serviceable Knowledge/knowledgeable

    All rules in English have exceptions. Judgment is an accepted spelling of judgement, probably because there wouldn't be any way to pronounce that G except soft. But then why not also remove the E from judg?
    Same in Spanish (decimos, dicen) and Portuguese (dizemos, dizem). But in Spanish you only eliminate the subject in vernacular speech and newspaper headlines; it would be considered uncultured to leave it out in polite speech or writing. I'm not sure about Portuguese.
    You must not be an American.

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    But we often take cliches like that and use them as adjectives by hyphenating them: Pete is a burgers-and-fries kind of guy and Mona is a quiche-and-champagne kind of girl; how did they end up together?
     
    Fraggle Rocker, Jan 31, 2010
    #26
  10. John99

    John99 Banned Banned

    Messages:
    22,046
    just made it up on the spot, very spontaneous and untrue. the basic premise comes from a song i heard though.
     
    John99, Jan 31, 2010
    #27
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