New Oxford Dictionary

Urbane Guerrilla · 11-29-2007, 11:37 PM

I'm often surprised at some lexicographers' and language historians' willingness to declare some usage or word "obsolete." I can recall from The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language a declaration that "merry" was pretty much gone except in a set phrase like "Merry Christmas." What the hell? I use some archaisms, but "merry" isn't remotely archaic, nor at all obsolete to anyone who read Tolkien, who wasn't necessarily archaic in his usages either.

11-29-2007, 11:37 PM	#2
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	I'm often surprised at some lexicographers' and language historians' willingness to declare some usage or word "obsolete." I can recall from The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language a declaration that "merry" was pretty much gone except in a set phrase like "Merry Christmas." What the hell? I use some archaisms, but "merry" isn't remotely archaic, nor at all obsolete to anyone who read Tolkien, who wasn't necessarily archaic in his usages either. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

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