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usage defines language not the other way around Like it or not, "crypto" now means cryptocurrency, and "cryptography" means cryptography
by shawabawa3 7y ago
usage defines language not the other way around
Like it or not, "crypto" now means cryptocurrency, and "cryptography" means cryptography
- Nasrudith 7y agoLinguistically they can both define it as they please really. Just like how a joint can be anatomical, a place, or a drug delivery mechanism. Really it is surprising that there isn't more contention over abbreviations.
- eivarv 7y agoUsage defines language not the other way around That depends on whether you take a prescriptive or descriptive approach.
- Analemma_ 7y agoAnd the prescriptivist approach is dumb, because no one has the authority to prescribe English usage. We don’t have an Academie française, and even English dictionaries explicitly disavow any intent to mandate correct usage and state that they are only cataloging real world speech.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- TheAdamAndChe 7y agoIt's also context-sensitive. If you are talking about investing and mention crypto, it's pretty obviously implying cryptocurrencies.
- colecut 7y agoI literally died reading this
- CiPHPerCoder 7y ago> usage defines language not the other way around I say we start referring to cryptocurrencies as "cyber cash" and then abbreviate it to "cyber". If anyone should suffer from appropriated terminology at the hands of blockchainiacs, it ought to be the insufferable sales staff at security industry conferences.
- mindslight 7y agoBut "cyber" already means cybersex? I mean, that's what I think of when I hear Cyber Monday, Cyber Security, etc.
- sp332 7y ago"usage defines language" Yeah that's exactly why GP is asking to change the usage.