If they were truly erudite they would pronounce their name correctly instead of “eriudite”.
If they were truly erudite they would pronounce their name correctly instead of “eriudite”.
On the contrary, I believe the true meaning of the word erudite has very little to do with following grammar rules. First of all, just because you don't use a correct word, doesn't mean you don't know it's correct, you just have your reasons. I spent four years in Philological High School, if I learned anything it's that correct forms of grammar are often less logical and less prectical for use, there often isn't any valid reason why a rule is the way it is. Those rules sometimes even change as often as fashion, so everyone who still uses the form that was correct months ago is suddenly considered as illiterate. Maybe I've developed a dislike for grammar Nazis due to having been surrounded by them, so I'm not objective. But I feel the need to wonder why anyone should tell me how to talk and how that would contribute to knowledge and intelligence. Language is about communicating, understanding each other, and people who speak in all kinds of accents often find it harder to understand those who speak strictly grammatically correct. By the way, I don't exclude the option that, by the time Divergent takes place, their pronounciation has been declared correct. As I said, grammar rules change a lot for no apparent reason (a very Jeanine Matthews-like spirit). And yes, I am aware I've just typed out the beginning of an utterly unnecessary argument. This is why I should listen to my Amity side more than the Candor one. World peace!
Actually, this is about spelling, rather than grammar.
Perhaps people find it difficult to understand those who pronounce words correctly is that they were never taught how to pronounce them correctly themselves. I agree that language is about communicating, but if words and grammar degenerate into chaotic randomness, then there will be very little communicated.
You're right, spelling is the accurate term for this issue. I'm not a native Englsih speaker, besides in my language everything is spelled phonetically, so spelling is almost never metioned as somethign to pay attention to unless the spelling issue is linked to a grammar rule. That's why it came more naturally to me to say grammar. I aprecciate your correction.
In a way, language(s) are partly already a mess exactly because so many people speak in different accents, slang etc. But I believe that kind of language diversity is a good thing as long as there are basics everyone learns in order to communicate. So I do think a standard should exist, only that it shouln't be overrated and people shouldn't be scolded or called unintelligent like here over the pronunciation of one word, especially because it really doesn't disable understanding at all. I probably sounded too angry because I'm particualrly annoyed by being a nitpick and even snobbishly rude over such things 9as, said, I had bad experiences with that). I don't mean to say language rules shouldn't be there at all.
And, God, thank you for not reacting in an immature, disrespectful way because of disagreements, like so many people on the web. It feels great that an Internet argument is actually a kind of pleasure.
P.s. Ironically for this topic, once again I ruined a perfect rant with a bunch of typos :')