diverse => 'ethnically different'

[Ronald Butters]

Again, it seems more accurate to say that "diverse" does not MEAN 'non-white' in the contexts that Leslie indicates, but that we INFER that that is the intended sense in which it is to be interpreted, based on the context. On the other hand,

"This museum is very diverse" probably indicates just that the museum has a wide variety of artistic works. 
"This agenda is very diverse" indicates most likely a wide variety of subjects to be taken up. 
"This menu/winelist/dessert offering is very diverse" indicates a wide variety of potables.
"Christianity is very diverse" will not be taken to refer to ethnicity but to patterns of belief.

If a dictionary had to define "diverse" according to all the inferable senses of "diverse," it would be as big as China.


On Jan 19, 2011, at 10:01 AM, Leslie Decker wrote:

> In primary and secondary education circles, diverse often has the meaning
> 'non-white' or 'of non-Northern/Western European descent.' You'll often hear
> things like, "This school is very diverse,"  when it's 95% Hispanic (and 99%
> of those Hispanics are Mexican).
> 
> I once had a lecturer in Education classes at grad school who not only made
> statements as in the above, but used to say things like 'people who are
> diverse' or 'people of diverse ethnicity.'
> 
>> 
>> On Jan 18, 2011, at 12:29 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> African-American Congressman on CNN just now: "China may be diverse
>> compared
>>> to us...."
>>> 
>>> JL
>>> --
>>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> truth."
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org