Re: evolving languages

Jake X writes:

 > > It could be interpreted to mean that languages more or less
 > > follow the tendencies (ie, languages generally follow the
 > > tendencies) but (now entering into the play on words...) but some
 > > really are much less willing to follow.  Kind of like (my
 > > paraphrasing of) Orwell's "All pigs are created equal, but some
 > > are more equal than others."  At least that > example seems
 > > related in my mind -- if it doesn't actually connect to the "more
 > > or less" discussion, then just ignore it.  ;) Some are less "more
 > > or less" than others, or somesuch.
 > IIRC, you misquoted.  It was "all animals are created equal, but
 > some are more equal than others."  Your version was wrong because,
 > IIRC and I read it a while ago, the pigs were the "more equal"
 > category.
 > > --
 > > AA
 > Jake
 >

If we're going to have it precisely...

|"'My sight is failing,' she said finally. 'Even when I was young I
|could not have read what was written there. But it appears to me that
|that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they
|used to be, Benjamin?'
|
|"For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her
|what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a
|single Commandment. It ran: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE
|MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"
            --George Orwell, _Animal Farm_

(I sent this yesterday, but it was delayed due to server nonfunction)