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There are two lead definitions for "democratize" in the Oxford English Dictionary. One of them is: "make (something) accessible to everyone" So the usage here
by jph00 6y ago
There are two lead definitions for "democratize" in the Oxford English Dictionary. One of them is:
"make (something) accessible to everyone"
So the usage here is entirely consistent with standard English usage. It is also consistent with the French etymology (démocratiser), which has as a dictionary definition "Rendre démocratique, populaire" (i.e. to make popular).
- kubanczyk 6y agoI think that definition is a part of parent's pet peeve. dēmo- (people) -kratía (rule) has only indirect relation to popularity.
- justnotworthit 6y agoIf I let everyone on my street borrow my bike, can I say "I've democratized my bike"?
- andrekandre 6y agoi would say, only if they all get to vote on how/when its used and by whom
- ben_w 6y agoWhile I am also irked by shifting meanings, I think trying to resist these changes is very Canute-like. https://cdn.digg.com/images/e160ad4bb9c845f894155145539af3df_7e33ab71a7b6497e862fff23bdaa9f2f_1_post.jpeg https://cdn.digg.com/images/e160ad4bb9c845f894155145539af3df...
- nl 6y agoIf you make lots of bikes available for rent then yes. https://medium.com/the-fourth-wave/the-great-democratization-of-transportation-7687fb3b579c https://medium.com/the-fourth-wave/the-great-democratization...
- Fnoord 6y agoDid your bike get liberated from your dictatorship? I don't know. How good did it feel to eat Freedom Fries after 9/11?
- ben_w 6y agoThanks! I have also been confused by this use of “democratise”, so learning about the shift from “rule by the masses” to “accessible by the masses” is valuable.