this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 83 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Irregardless, if a word shifts spelling or meaning like this and is generally understood, even if initially by mistake, than it becomes becomes another correct meaning too. Like, literally.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I will never stop being mad that "literally" got a new dictionary definition that's literally not literally

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Maybe it would help if you knew there were more? Or maybe that would make it feel worse, but there are more. It's a pretty common pattern in language for some reason, called "contronyms." So literally can mean actually or figuratively, but others include clip (cut off or attach), oversight (to overlook, or to scrutinize closely), sanction (approve something or penalize it), or even fast (moving quickly or still, as in held fast). Context is key, people will adapt as meanings are ever shifting.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

or, my favorite, in German "umfahren"

can either mean "drive around"

or "run over"

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/the-300-year-history-of-using-literally-figuratively.html

The fact that most people understand people are being literally figurative is proof that the word is working linguistically. It’s easy to understand in context which use is being intended, and always has been. The fact that people are bothered by it is the new annoying phenomenon.

Pendants should read books, just once, or twice, at least.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That, and then you have my 6-year old who uses "literally" to emphasize his statements. It's pretty funny to listen for that word at my house. It becomes a game of

Is it Literal?

Is it figurative?

Is it exaggerated?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Words matter. Think about life before and after the dictionary definition change.

Changing literally to figuratively broke reality.

It was changed September 2011.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Factoid

A piece of unverified or inaccurate information that is presented in the press as factual, often as part of a publicity effort, and that is then accepted as true because of frequent repetition.

After I heard even Sam Harris misuse this word I just accepted it is now a synonym for a fact despite that the original meaning is the exact opposite.

[–] AdmiralShat 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Is such a fucking irony that factoid itself has become a factoid for "bit of trivia"

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You could almost say the evolving definition of factoid is in of itself an example of the original definition of a factoid.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

"then"* it becomes

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Exactly. People shouldn't misunderestimate the power of using a word wrong.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 10 months ago (3 children)

The dictionary is a collection of knowledge not an authority on language.

[–] AdmiralShat 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I've been saying this since I watched a video on the history of dictionaries in elementary school (I heard that the I before e except after c rule was made by a guy trying to discredit Shakespeare and got interested)

I'm so glad I've been seeing this type of stuff on lemmy. It's refreshing to see people actually understand that these are just recordings of words and how they're spelt and pronounced (with bias and purposeful edits) rather than an actual hard line in the sand.

Edit: holy fucking shit I can't type

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (3 children)

The therapist should of known better in the first place

[–] [email protected] 47 points 10 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That's you're problem, not mine

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

All of the little provocations throughout this thread have been enough to make me twich, but this is the one that pushed me over the edge. I'm this close to printing out your comment just so I can correct it!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Your in you're write to do this

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Aaarrgghh! I was just calming down, and now the twitching is back! Nurse! Nurse! I need my dried frog pills, someone is doing terrible things to the English language online.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Calm down again! It's oll wright

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, and it's better to be correct then to just leave them in their ignorance.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If we don't, their never going to improve!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

People are really making alot of mistakes in this thread

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

then

blood pressure spiking

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Woah, are you alright?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Anyways, shall we talk about your difficulty making friends? Some should of done it a long time ago

[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago (3 children)

i feel like everyone like this eventually ends up realizing that prescriptivism is silly and language changing is not something that can even be slowed down, it's like trying to stop fish from evolving

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (5 children)

I feel like some of it is worth fighting. Like "literally" being almost useless because it means one thing and also it's inverse. You now have to specify which one you mean when using it, which negates the point of using it at all. You might as well describe which concept you mean instead.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

English makes no sense to begin with. Why do you park in the driveway but drive in the parkway? Why is infinite the opposite of finite but flammable and inflammable are synonymous? Why is the plural of louse lice, the plural of mouse mice, but the plural of house is not hice?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'd argue that literally isn't changing definitions. It still means literally. It's just that the most common usage of 'literally' is in a figurative or hyperbolic way. In fact, if the word DID change meaning to mean the opposite version, its usage would become much less meaningful since it's usage in a figurative way is done to show extreme figurative to the point that it might as well be considered literal, e.g "literally the worst day of my life"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

The fact I've felt the need to clarify I mean actually literally before shows that the definition is losing it's purpose. Sure, sometimes it's clear that it's hyperbolic, but frequently there isn't a good way to know what meaning is intended, especially if it's online and/or you don't know their person speaking and their tendencies.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

I really hope this was made by a therapist

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Anyone else wonder how some folks will say language sometimes changes related to people speaking lazily, but then you get words changing meaning/emerging with extra syllables like "irregardless" or "disorientated"?

When posts like this pop up, it makes me wonder 'bout those extra syllable words, "So how's that happen, then?"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sometimes it's discombobulating, isn't it?

But no, seriousnessly, get a pinch of lazy, add a pinch of troll, throw in some euphemism, mix thoroughly for a while, and shit happens, like birds and bees.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago
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[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Anyway, how's your sex life?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Me: I understand but don't get why...

Therapist: And. You understand AND don't get why...

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