Corpus Linguistics, or, all I need to know I learned from fandom

[oloriel]

You know how they all go "Ah, in the olden days things were better, people had no bread but at least there were no flamewars on the internet" and such...

... and then you read the letters Sir Thomas More and William Tyndale sent to each other and it's all "YEAH WELL THAT'S NOT CANON" and "YEAH WELL IT IS BECAUSE JEROME SAYS SO" and "WELL WHAT DOES JEROME KNOW? ANYWAY READ THE BY-OUR-LADY ORIGINAL AND IT'S NOT CANON, NEENER NEENER" and "IS TOO, SHAME ON YOU SHAME SHAME !!1!ELEVENTY" and "SHAME ON YOU, LEARN HEBREW YOU N00B, PS: JESUS/MARY MAGDALEN=OTP" and "STFU I KNOW HEBREW AS WELL AS YOU OR BETTER KTHXDIE" and "O RLY?" and "ZOMG BURN!!!!!!". And don't even get me started on More vs. Luther.

... the more things change, the more they stay the same?

Thomas More's letters to the family are v. cute and fluffy, though. (And kind of heart-breaking when you know how it ended. ;_;)

Also, am tempted to do the Very Secret Diary of Edward VI. "Dear Diary, today I met the Swedish Embassador. V. boring bloke. Spit in his beer. I don't think he noticed*. Also, had Joan of Kent burnt for saying Mary was not a virgin. Stupid bint, what does she know of virgins²? Love, Eddy.

PS: Still King."

...
No, seriously, I am working. And using the corpus for serious scholarly purposes and such. *shifty eyes*

- - -
*Although strictly speaking it should be "I think he noticed not".

²Likewise, "what knoweth she...". Because do-support is something that happens to other people.

Comments

[satismagic.livejournal.com]

I want to read that secret diary!

LOVE this first part.

*crave more*

Will shamelessly pass on the link.

[yoodi.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Srsly, who actually believes that things were ever *different* in the past?

[applegnat.livejournal.com]

I LOL with great LOLS.

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

*LOOOOOOL*

Kriegen wir mehr davon? BITTE? Pretty PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!

[arwensommer.livejournal.com]

Also, am tempted to do the Very Secret Diary of Edward VI. "Dear Diary, today I met the Swedish Embassador. V. boring bloke. Spit in his beer. I don't think he noticed*. Also, had Joan of Kent burnt for saying Mary was not a virgin. Stupid bint, what does she know of virgins²? Love, Eddy.

PS: Still King."

I TOLD you that was funny, didn't I? (PS: Still funny today)

*laughs*

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing*

Almost literally so. Augh.