TCG Letter #127

Tolkien writes an eight page letter to A.W. Riddle, discussing in very deep detail split infinitives and the evolution of written and colloquially spoken language, in response to Riddle's letter that appears to be using Sherlock Holmes as examples. Tolkien's responses (and mentioning Mycroft and Sherlock's uses of language at various points) seems a good indicator that Tolkien has read at least some of Doyle's detective books.

Tolkien is modest about his own capabilities to define proper English usage, and in fact says that there is no such thing as 'correctness' though he is quite interested in pursuing it. He tells Riddle that any grammatical changes can be correct, if you get enough people to agree with you or it comes into fashion.

Interestingly, Tolkien says this of himself - "I am a linguistic historian, of scientific outlook, in part; and for the rest a specialist in Anglo-Saxon, and Medieval English; and a poet."