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Super-Instrumentum

blog.felicedellagatta.com

Super-Instrumentum

Nov 4, 2021
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Super-Instrumentum

blog.felicedellagatta.com

“I am the king of the Romans and above grammar.”

Said Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund to a cardinal who mildly remarked a grammatical mistake he made during a public speech. And so historian Thomas Carlyle awarded him the title of Sigismund Super-Grammaticam.

With due exceptions, how well you can use a tool says little about how well you can get the job done. The tools belong to those who use them, not to those who write the instructions. That’s why language is continually evolving, for example, and the dictionary with it.

In a way, you don’t need to be king of the Romans to be Super-grammaticam. You just need to be an effective communicator.

You are Super-Instrumentum (above the tool) if you can get a job well done.

Portrait of Sigismund Super-Grammaticam. Image via Wikipedia
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Super-Instrumentum

blog.felicedellagatta.com
2 Comments
Evy Lyons
Writes The Pleasant Box
Nov 4, 2021Liked by Felice Della Gatta

Ha! So I can't spell grammer to say my life. I will always write grammEr. And I find it hilarious because the only time I actually use the word grammer is to tell someone, "I think there is a grammer mistake here."

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