Steven Brust wrote: >- those are emotions specific to the speaker or the >listener, and if the speaker wants to be that specific, he is >perfectly free to say one or the other - to use the chef's knife, as >it were. But most people don't bother, because there is easy way out, that doesn't encourage us to think about what we mean. We say, "I'm involved in a relationship with Susan." What does "relationship" mean in that context? Do you know? Can you define it? It *sounds* like it's saying something, but it really isn't. How has this use of "relationship" made it easier to communicate? It hasn't. Instead, you have a lot of people who *think* they understand what you've said, and nod, but, in reality, they are living in a world of muddied, unclear thoughts. The same is true of "hopefully," although not as much. It gives the illusion of saying something more precisely than it has. It is very much of a kind to what the businessmen and politicians do--making it sound like they said more than they have. I mislike it that so many of us do this accidentally. ********************************************************************************************** Hhhmmm, you would prefer the first speaker said " I am banging Susan like a nail every night"? <smiles> Most of the changes in language that evolve are due to people trying to be MORE considerate of one another. Including such little things as "Hopefully". I do agree that language, over the course of millinia, has become LESS complex, even though the culture it describes has become MORE complex. However, since this lessoning of complexity has occurred since the first known beginnings of language, I cannot see a way to change the trend. It is true that the very ancient languages, like ancient Egyptian, Hebrew and Babylonian, were much more complex and accurate than our modern languages today. However, the simplification of language seems to be an ongoing trend. Why argue about it or debate it? Language DOES change as societies evolve. It is part of the course of history. We have the choice of fighting it or evolving with it. <smiles> With Respect, Caliann Graves *Written WITHOUT Steve's imput, although she caters to him in other ways* "Offense theives. -- they take it when it isn't offered." --Tom Digby --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs