Well, I don't think it is a pedantic semantic difference, though I am sure calling it that makes discussion simpler; just as the phrase "religious people," rather than being understood as "people who have religious behaviours, amongst their other behaviours which are unrelated to religion," is commonly taken in some quarters to mean "brainless zombies who don't believe in reason or science." Is that a pedantic semantic difference? Depends if you're using language to uncover and explain the truth, or as a weapon to promulgate your desired point of view.
There's a reason that legal documents have a preamble in which the meanings of specific terms used in the document are set out in full. These linguistic matters need to be resolved before any meaningful discussion on the matter in hand can be undertaken. Therefore, comments such as I made are not so much derailing the discussion as getting it on to the right track before it leaves the station. Railways don't do shortcuts; it's one of their virtues.
There are many terms that "almost everyone else understands." "Sunrise," for instance. Did it matter that almost everyone else's understanding of the term was dead wrong when Copernicus or whoever advanced his theories? Maybe not. Or maybe--as language is a tool and a misused or damaged tool is worthless--understanding needs to be clarified before the term is adopted into general usage. Those who try to do this may be condemned as "picky" or "disruptive" or "poisonous." I can't help that. It needs doing.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-08-25 10:43 am (UTC)There's a reason that legal documents have a preamble in which the meanings of specific terms used in the document are set out in full. These linguistic matters need to be resolved before any meaningful discussion on the matter in hand can be undertaken. Therefore, comments such as I made are not so much derailing the discussion as getting it on to the right track before it leaves the station. Railways don't do shortcuts; it's one of their virtues.
There are many terms that "almost everyone else understands." "Sunrise," for instance. Did it matter that almost everyone else's understanding of the term was dead wrong when Copernicus or whoever advanced his theories? Maybe not. Or maybe--as language is a tool and a misused or damaged tool is worthless--understanding needs to be clarified before the term is adopted into general usage. Those who try to do this may be condemned as "picky" or "disruptive" or "poisonous." I can't help that. It needs doing.