[lbo-talk] Linguistic Query

[Carrol Cox]

As a general rule, if a construction or use becomes widespread among a
literate population, then that construction or use is part of the
language.

On this grounds one would have to suppose that "alot" has replaced "a
lot." And that "lead" rather than "led" is the past tense of "lead."

The replacement of "led" by "lead" offers no particular problem. But how
does one analyze the syntax of "alot of people" to make syntactical
sense of "alot"?

Carrol