Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 03:25:04 -0500

From: "M. Lynne Murphy" 104LYN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MUSE.ARTS.WITS.AC.ZA

Subject: Re: More on warp speed



Using Dale's post as a starting point, I'd like to ask the question--why

are split infinitives bad things? As a journalism major in my undergrad

days, the rule was always cited (particularly by my News Editing

professor) for us students, but never explained, "Because that's the way

it is. Why do you want to know?"



my understanding is that they're proscribed b/c english

(prescriptive) grammar teaching was (historically) based on the

premise that latin was a perfect and logical language. because you

can't do it in latin (so goes the logic), you shouldn't do it in

english. i think there are other prescriptive rules with the same

source.



lynne



---------------------------------------