• LousyCornMuffins@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 days ago

        a sort. you can intend people to use a word you made up or pronounce it a certain way, but how it’s used or pronounced is how it’s going to be in the language regardless of its creator’s intent.

        • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          3 days ago

          Language is not completely a democratic process. A 30:70 split on pronunciation doesn’t indicate that one version is going to fade into oblivion. Pronunciation can evolve but so can definition. The word “literally” no longer means what it used to mean in common vernacular. Not everyone should be expected to accept these majority trends though. Many of us still want “literally” to preserve its original definition for example.

          • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            3 days ago

            “Old man yells at language changing over time.”

            Edit: Sorry, I mean: “Eald mann hlýhst æt spræce wandlunge ofer tíde.”