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Language evolves. Historical meaning can inform our understanding of modern usage but doesn’t dictate or govern it. Linguists call this “semantic drift” and it
by compiler-guy 6mo ago
Language evolves. Historical meaning can inform our understanding of modern usage but doesn’t dictate or govern it.
Linguists call this “semantic drift” and it occurs in every language we know of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change
Wikipedias first English example is:
Awful – Literally "full of awe", originally meant "inspiring wonder (or fear)", hence "impressive". In contemporary usage, the word means "extremely bad".
- jerf 6mo agoPossibly even more directly, the etymological fallacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymological_fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymological_fallacy
- carlosjobim 6mo agoJust because we can - and should - understand what people mean when they use words wrongly, doesn't mean that words don't have correct meanings. That makes the world poorer, for no benefit at all.
- sumeno 6mo agoWhy aren't you responding in Old English then? Surely that would be more correct since it is closer to the origin
- carlosjobim 6mo agoWhy aren't you busy burning old manuscript and books, since they don't conform to your "new meaning" of words?
- compiler-guy 5mo agoBecause one of the principles involved here is that language evolves. Old books using old meanings are perfectly fine--in fact, it's to be expected. It's the purists who believe that original meanings are the only possibly correct ones that need to stick to old English. Or perhaps even old Norse.