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Words don't fall out of use by accident, I'd say most words get the level of usage that they rightfully deserve. Every word on that list has a more widely under
by AmericanChopper 3y ago
Words don't fall out of use by accident, I'd say most words get the level of usage that they rightfully deserve. Every word on that list has a more widely understood alternative that people commonly use instead. The primary purpose of language is facilitate communication, and using words that most people don't understand works against that goal. Alternatively you're free to use language in service of your own curiosity of obscure words, or perhaps just to showcase your own superior vocabulary to other people. But don't be surprised if that makes you a less effective communicator.
- thfuran 3y ago>Words don't fall out of use by accident Of course they do. Unless you're suggesting that there's some kind of deep state conspiracy to alter the English language one word at a time. >and using words that most people don't understand works against that goal Most people don't speak much English at all. Should everyone stop using all but the most common thousand words? Most native speakers aren't experts in any particular field. Should all technical writing spend dozens of words to imprecisely replace each bit of specific jargon? Should no one ever coin a new term simply because it won't already be in wide use?
- AmericanChopper 3y ago> Unless you're suggesting that there's some kind of deep state conspiracy to alter the English language one word at a time. Not at all. There’s an entirely democratic process used to decide which words are commonly used an understood, everybody simply chooses for themselves what words are useful for them to include in their vocabulary. > Most people don't speak much English at all. I wasn’t specifically talking about English. My comments would apply to any non-dead language. Regarding the rest of your comment, people modify languages all the time. They invent new words or bring old ones into use (or stop using old ones), and whether they survive depends entirely upon how popular they are within the culture. This isn’t specific to the broader English speaking culture either, subcultures have their own vocabularies whether they are technical subcultures, or some music subculture, or zoomer meme culture… they all invent vocabularies to suit their communication needs. A better title for this page would be “a list of (mostly) discarded words that I (we?) like”. In regards to how effective these words are at facilitating communication, I see no argument presented here for why they get less recognition or use than they deserve. Because most English speakers wouldn’t understand most of these words, and using a word that somebody doesn’t understand is always going to be a less effective way of communicating with them than using a word that they do (and all of the words I saw on that list have actually widely understood alternatives).
- specialist 3y agoAgree with all. > entirely democratic process Yup. Language change theory. Via emergent consensus, the most democratic process.
- Kye 3y agoJust the other day I introduced an non-native English speaking friend to the word myopic. You'd think "short-sighted" would win out as the clearer term, but myopic consistently beats it on Google Trends. I would expect a writer to alternate between them if they needed to repeat the concept and wanted to clearscribe.
- thfuran 3y agoWhy expect that? It's about twice as long.
- ngetchell 3y agoSo the writing isn't repetitive.
- everybodyknows 3y agoAlso a bit harder on the tongue and ears, as compared to "myopic".