Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
In theory at least, dictionaries are supposed to document the change after it has happened, they are not supposed initiate the change. (At least that is my understanding of their role.) Dictionary.com for example mostly agrees with Harmon's definition of decimate (not citing as an example of perfection, just as a site I find useful and generally reliable), my earlier post was aimed at highlighting that the imprecise definition existed, not just the precise.
Language is a constantly moving target which, I suppose, is one of the reasons why we have had so much difficulty on this thread - but the fact that it is always moving is one of the reasons I think my OP still has (at least some) validity. |
You're obviously right, but I think Harmon's point is a good one: One of the ways writing is getting debased is that precise words are being either replaced with imprecise ones or themselves neutered. Sort of Orwell predicted in
1984. If you can refer to anything as being "decimated" (or "awesome", for that matter), then why even bother? If precise words keep getting clear-cut from our language, it'll become hard to describe
anything well (which is probably one of the reasons why mediocre books can prosper).