Some Common Myths Thought to be True - Myth 29
Myth 29: Irregardless is not a "real word"
Irregardless is a word commonly used in place of regardless or irrespective,
which has caused controversy since the early twentieth century, though the word
appeared in print as early as 1795. Most dictionaries list it as "nonstandard"
or "incorrect."
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Irregardless, it is a Word | |
The approach taken by lexicographers when documenting a word's uses and
limitations can be prescriptive or descriptive. The method used with
irregardless is overwhelmingly prescriptive. Much of the criticism comes from
the double negative pairing of the prefix (ir-) and suffix (-less), which
stands in contrast to the negative polarity exhibited by most standard
varieties of English. Critics also use the argument that irregardless is not,
or should not be, a word at all because it lacks the antecedents of a "bona
fide nonstandard word." A counterexample is provided in ain't, which has an
"ancient genealogy," at which scholars have not leveled such criticisms.
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