original words, their creators and their subsequent users

[Natalie Maynor]

Lesa Dill wrote:

> Is using the originator's explanation prescriptivist? Or do we have to stick
> by the historically rooted explanation?

Insisting upon the originator's definition when most people are using
the word with a different meaning is not only prescriptivist, it's useless.
I must admit that I did fight a hard fight for several years against the
masses' use of the word "listserv," but I've finally given up.  One thing
that made it easier for me to resign myself to the new usage (though I
never use the word that way myself) was getting rid of my various
list-owner positions.  What drove me crazy about the "misuse" of the
word "listserv" back then was that you'd say things like "Send this
command to the listserv," and people would send it to the list instead
of to the listserv.
   --Natalie Maynor (maynor at ra.msstate.edu)