[Lexicog] When Words Lose Meaning

[Fritz Goerling]

Not to my - certainly limited - knowledge, Benjamin. All major religions.
although having somewhat differing understandings of marriage, recognize
that marriage involves the union of the two complementary sexes in a
relationship that normally is for childbearing and childrearing.

Whether it is legitimate to refer to same-sex unions as 'marriage' is
debated and certainly not widely accepted.

 

Fritz Goerling

 

Benjamin Barrett wrote:

Marriage has been known to encompass same-sex couples for at least 2000
years, though lexicographers did not reflect that fact in their
dictionaries.

 

In modern times, dictionaries have recognized the word marriage as including
same-sex couples for the last decade give or take a few years. Many same-sex
couples have used the word marriage to refer to their situation for years
before that, regardless of their legal status or whether dictionaries
recognized it. Lexicographically, nothing happened in California as laws
recognizing same-sex marriage were already present in other countries. BB

 

On May 17, 2008, at 9:13 AM, Fritz Goerling wrote:





 

Right - the "nemesis." What do lexicographers do with youthful unorthodox
uses of words like "wicked" or "bad" to mean "good/cool" which usually go
out of fashion soon?" Slang dictionaries? Or what to do with the recent
judicial redefinition of marriage by the Supreme Court inCalifornia?

Fritz Goerling

Scott Nelson wrote:

It's interesting to watch what happens to words when any of five 
inconvenient factors intrude on an original (if there is such a thing 
as an origninal): 1) emotion 2) politics 3) metaphorical use 4) 
location 5) time. 

<
The issue of words losing/changing meaning is one that can 
easily be resolved by extending definitions .
It will continue to be the nemesis 
of lexicographers and teachers in hard copy. 

 

 
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