tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16823943.post4490856659044075286..comments2023-09-18T12:16:21.289-07:00Comments on Evolving English II: I don't have a smartphone, I have ...WordzGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04618408509448732889noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16823943.post-70359956870178223452011-03-25T12:08:36.262-07:002011-03-25T12:08:36.262-07:00Interesting post - thanks!
I seriously, not only ...Interesting post - thanks!<br /><br />I seriously, not only in jest, refer to my dumb phone as a dumb phone.<br /><br />Some day it would be fun to have a smart phone, but right now, I'm too cheap - being of on or those generations that still does (gasp!) my surfing online from an actual 'puter!!!<br /><br />MBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16823943.post-52548150164824242512011-03-22T18:08:29.847-07:002011-03-22T18:08:29.847-07:00@Paul -- I was recently reading Robert Wright'...@Paul -- I was recently reading Robert Wright's "The Evolution of God," and he points out that in (e.g.) animistic cultures, there is no word for religion as we understand the term, because there is no distinction between religion and, you know, the world. Talk about yer retronyms. :-)WordzGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04618408509448732889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16823943.post-85666244025968513502011-03-22T14:12:29.061-07:002011-03-22T14:12:29.061-07:00Retronyms fascinate me. Not surprisingly, the spee...Retronyms fascinate me. Not surprisingly, the speed of their appearance probably matches the rate of technological innovation, which explains their proliferation since the Industrial Revolution (and especially since WWII): Renewable energy, conventional weapons, Black-and-white TV, Rotary phone, (wet-)film camera, even ... tap water? But some developments are ancient; I wonder how long ago their retronyms appeared -- I guess we might never know in cases where the innovation preceded writing: wild animals, whole grains.Paul_Schhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08694878382580846951noreply@blogger.com