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That’s just how languages evolve; there’s nothing particularly dangerous about it. (Besides, I really doubt there are many scenarios where “diffuse” and “defuse

• smolder 4y ago
  People say this evolution thing about language frequently but not all changes are positive for a languages utility, clearly. It can get better and it can get worse. When words start meaning their opposite and then consequently nothing, like with "literally", that's evolving away from usefulness.
• BLKNSLVR 4y ago
  Devolves. If meaning is abstracted by multiple words spelt different ways and context specific understanding is required, then there will be a greater cognitive load to reach 'understanding' and the language will move away from it's goal of conveying meaning. This is a long tail, but it's not like we've only just started down it. I actually find misspelling and bad phraseology to judge how seriously I should take a person's opinion, though factored in amongst other things (if it's obvious that English is their second language, or if their field of expertise may be one that eschews language skills, for example).
  • giraffe_lady 4y ago
    There is no language that isn't effective at conveying meaning, because doing that is fundamental to what language is. People have been complaining and worrying about this since, literally, the beginning of recorded history. Our language is much "devolved" specifically in the ways many of them were worried about, and yet we are still having this conversation in it. You might not like how it tastes in your mouth but it'll still work fine for the needs we have of it, as all languages always have.