4 ms·
> Words mean whatever a critical mass of people want them to mean. Yes this is true for natural language, but we don't want Wikipedia to have natural language.
by spencerchubb 3y ago
> Words mean whatever a critical mass of people want them to mean.
Yes this is true for natural language, but we don't want Wikipedia to have natural language. We want Wikipedia to have clear and concise language.
- KeplerBoy 3y agoThere's no governing body that decides how the English language is to be used. It's defined by the people as they write, speak and interpret it. French for example, is different. They have council with official authority over the language. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acad%C3%A9mie_Fran%C3%A7aise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acad%C3%A9mie_Fran%C3%A7aise
- SilasX 3y agoWhether a language has a governing body is irrelevant to whether you should attempt to use clear, easily-understood language. The concerns apply equally in French and English.