[lit-ideas] A Don's Learning
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:08:03 -0400 (EDT)
Only the poor learn, er, teach at Oxford... (Arnold)
Note that linguists prefer to say that a language, like a house, is
_acquired_. It would be odd to say that a house (or a city, to which Witters
compares a lingo -- by courtesy of R. P.) is _learned_. Ditto, "language
learning" vs. "language acquisition" -- or "language loss" for that matter, as
per Russian speakers who settle in New York and forget the proper declensions,
etc.!
What I learned from HPG.
Burnyeat notes in an online essay that Witters perhaps never understood St
(if we must) Augustine's "De Magisstro" ("His Latin left a lot to be
desired -- by me").
Burnyeat finds inspiration in an Oxford don, H. P. G. whom he quotes
profusely.
McEvoy thinks that 'name' is possibly misused by Augustine -- and
therefore, naturally, I would add, by Witters.
Burneyat notes that one can teach by tell and by show. Similarly, one can
learn.
"The Toad, having finished his breakfast, picked up a stout stick and
swung it vigorously, belabouring imaginary animals. `I'll learn 'em to steal
my
house!' he cried. `I'll learn 'em, I'll learn 'em!'"
`Don't say "learn 'em," Toad,' said the Rat, greatly shocked. `It's not
good English.'
`What are you always nagging at Toad for?' inquired the Badger, rather
peevishly. `What's the matter with his English? It's the same what I use
myself, and if it's good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for you!'
`I'm very sorry,' said the Rat humbly. `Only I THINK it ought to be "teach
'em," not "learn 'em."'
`But we don't WANT to teach 'em,' replied the Badger. `We want to LEARN
'em--learn 'em, learn 'em! And what's more, we're going to DO it, too!'
`Oh, very well, have it your own way,' said the Rat. He was getting rather
muddled about it himself, and presently he retired into a corner, where he
could be heard muttering, `Learn 'em, teach 'em, teach 'em, learn 'em!'
till the Badger told him rather sharply to leave off.
Cheers,
Speranjza
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