53
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
53 points (87.3% liked)
Showerthoughts
29525 readers
735 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Avoid politics
- 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
- 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
- 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
You may want to re-read that section as it's not saying what you think it is; the whole section is how the apostrophe was used for plural and singular possessive forms changed (and there's a "citation needed" for your quote too).
"An apostrophe followed by "s" was often used to mark a plural;[4] specifically, the Oxford Companion to the English Language notes that
There was formerly a respectable tradition (17th to 19th centuries) of using the apostrophe for noun plurals, especially in loanwords ending in a vowel (as in ... Comma's are used, Philip Luckcombe, 1771) and in the consonants s, z, ch, sh, (as in waltz's and cotillions, Washington Irving, 1804)..."
That's a way better quote! I'm still not sure that saying "it used to be the standard" is quite right, but it was definitely common place in specific circumstances and our avoidance of using it for plurals is a more modern invention.
I personally prefer the modern usage as it's less ambiguous, although there's some bias there I'm sure.