Posted by Peter H on May 04, 2007 at 11:05:51 from 86.130.136.67 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Kids (was Callum Home London posted by Alan Hakim on May 04, 2007 at 09:58:39:
I quite agree, Alan. 'Kid' is perfectly good slang and, as slang, should be respected and left alone as slang. I detest phrases like 'the nation's kids' in formal speeches. But I'd like to emphasise the positive side of using 'children' - it is a word with an impeccable pedigree - from the Old English 'cild'. 'Children' is technically an OE double plural - the old correct plural was 'childer', and lo and behold AR uses it:
There's nowt to be feared of. They're nobbut childer' (Mrs Dixon, SD p 46)
Wonderful! And 'children' is worth preserving - this form of plural is now rare. 'Oxen' is rarely used nowadays, and 'brethren' is only used for Scriptural purposes. I think Mike is probably worried about the 'quasi-ecological' side to importing words - Spanish bluebells and grey squirrels look nice but they are gradually ousting native bluebells and red squirrels. I would hope that the English language is resistant to this effect, but there may be a battle . . .