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What's in a name?
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| trancaholic |
Lately I've been noticing a number of names which originally was introduced to mean one thing (and might still be used in this manner in formal scientific litterature), but in the public mind has come to mean something slightly different.
Examples apparently abound when talking about social phenomena and psychiatry (schizophrenia and transvestism spring to mind), but also simple things such as a DVD (which officially means "digital versatile disc", but is most often being translated by laymen as "digital video disc") have this trait.
So my question is: "Which semantics is the correct one?" Following democratics principles the meaning ascribed by the majority should be the right meaning, but following a more scientific thinking, the meaning used by the people working with the thing/phenomena should be the right one?!? I mean, is there, within linguistic theory, some clarification of this?
And why is it important? Well, because sometimes in conversations I hear people use the "common" meaning of some word, and I can't really decide if I should educate them, or join them.:) |
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| shaolin_Z |
That's a pretty simple case of descriptive grammar v.s. prescriptive grammar.
From Wikipedia:
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In linguistics, prescription is the laying down or prescribing of normative rules for a language. A milder form of prescriptivism makes "recommendations" for good language useage. This is in contrast to the description of a language, which simply describes how that language is used in practice.
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So I guess it really dependds on which one you adhere more strongly to. I guess that didn't really help.:confused: |
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| trancaholic |
^^^ So you're saying that a word means different things considering the context? I would agree to an extend, but think that there's some words which makes no sense to keep several meanings for. For instance, the word "harddrive" would to me mean a small metal box containing swirling metal discs and a reading device, most often placed inside a computer cabinet. However, quite a lot of people think that a harddisc is the entire computer cabinet (they have their keyboard, monitor, harddisc, and printer). Are you suggesting that in some cases (and only some) they are right? I can't think of a context that would make a difference.
Shaolin: I'm not thinking about grammar (syntax), but meaning of individual nouns (semantics). But to cast the question using terms from your reply, how do you decide the "prescriptive" meaning? Who are authorized to decide what a word should mean? |
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| Yoepus |
| quote: | Originally posted by trancaholic
^^^ So you're saying that a word means different things considering the context? I would agree to an extend, but think that there's some words which makes no sense to keep several meanings for. For instance, the word "harddrive" would to me mean a small metal box containing swirling metal discs and a reading device, most often placed inside a computer cabinet. However, quite a lot of people think that a harddisc is the entire computer cabinet (they have their keyboard, monitor, harddisc, and printer). Are you suggesting that in some cases (and only some) they are right? I can't think of a context that would make a difference.
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you're gay...
So? |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
you're gay...
So? |
We know you meant..."happy" right? :p ;) |
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| trancaholic |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
you're gay...
So? |
Well, this example is sorta different I think. You're using a word with two totally different but well established meanings. If, however, I say that I think that you're a certified schizo, then the two meanings that can be used here are kind of similar, except one of them is a perversion of the original one, and few people are even aware that there's an alternative semantics to the one they are using.
In other words, your statement that I'm gay would most likely prompt the listener to ask "gay - in what way?", whereas my assertment that you suffer from schizophrenia would not prompt such a question, yet the assertion would mean different things to a psychiatrist and the dude down the bar. How can context help out in such a case? |
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| Yoepus |
| quote: | Originally posted by trancaholic
Well, this example is sorta different I think. You're using a word with two totally different but well established meanings. If, however, I say that I think that you're a certified schizo, then the two meanings that can be used here are kind of similar, except one of them is a perversion of the original one, and few people are even aware that there's an alternative semantics to the one they are using.
In other words, your statement that I'm gay would most likely prompt the listener to ask "gay - in what way?", whereas my assertment that you suffer from schizophrenia would not prompt such a question, yet the assertion would mean different things to a psychiatrist and the dude down the bar. How can context help out in such a case? |
context, is who when and where.
Try using gay in 1950s.
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Same thing applies to abbreviations.
If I use the abbreviation "NRA" with you, you will assume I am talking about the National Rifle Association. If I am using the "NRA" term with a restauranteur he will assume I mean the "National Restaurant Association". |
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| St_Andrew |
I agree with yoeupus, it's all about the context/who you are talking to. As when it comes to pretty much all kinds of communication. And imo democracy will always rule languages. This however doesnt mean that two meanings cant both be right. If you talk with a bunch of scientists and use the "democracy rule", you might use a word in one way, but if you talk with a bunch of ppl in the bar, that will mean something else and both times it will be obvious what you mean.
and as for languages/grammar and whats right/wrong, its always pissing me off when someone say "this is the correct spelling/grammar rule/whatever, but 99% of the people use this other way"... if 99% of the ppl do it in one way, then thats obviously the right way! |
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