>>Hi Tamar,
>>
>>>That may me how Thomas spells "borough," but it's not the standard spelling. However, increasingly, we're seeing "boro."<
>>
>>I suspect that is just shorthand for all the people too lazy to type full words ... like the use of "ic ur not 2 happy", which, BTW, drives me crazy! <g>
>>
>
>I actually think there's a distinction between the evolution of "borough" to "boro" and the IM slang. The truth is that the extra letters in "borough" do nothing to tell you how to pronounce the word or to distinguish from other words. They're a historical artifact of the way the word used to be pronounced. My guess is that our grandchildren (or maybe it's our great-grandchildren) will learn "boro" and "thru" in school.
>
>Tamar

Tamar;

Perhaps in this case (the use of "boro") we are somehow attempting to revert back to the use of Old English, to shorten the length of this word. :)

As you know the word borough (Modern English) in this case means, “one of the five constituent political divisions of New York City”. Old English used “burg” as did Old High German, and Middle English used “burgh”. Perhaps some day it will be shortened to “b”. :)

Now what does “Modern English” refer to? Somehow that sounds like “contemporary music”. Being a musician “Contemporary Music” makes me laugh. Perhaps all music is “contemporary”? I guess it depends upon the period in which you live. How about using the term “Modern Music”?

In 1957 kids in my class were using the term, “I am listening to my transistor”. They would not say, “transistor radio”. I liked to argue with them that a transistor is a current amplifying device and you cannot “listen to it”. That is what I get for being in electronics! :)

That which is acceptable today is obsolete tomorrow. :)

Tom