How many Jewish people in the British Isles ?

[sodthisforfun]

Why not? No one seems to know exactly how it originated.
The alternative is that it was done on purpose for some perverse reason.

Is there a reason for the name?

If it is a misinterpretation of a foreign name then the person who started it obviously did not know what it meant - i.e. ignorant.
If, as is a theory, they were originally sold for a guinea; definitely not named after the country; that still leaves the question "Why pig?".


If I say I live in a Conservative consistancy, am I trying to evolve the language or have I made a mistake because I don't know the correct word - i.e. ignorant?
Are you thinking 'ignorant' is just an insult?

Reading about it a few mins ago, the pig is thought to have come from being reminded of the shape and noise of a normal pig. Doesn't seem ignorant to me, quite logical.

Why is the bird Robin called Robin?

 

[EFLImpudence]

I agree that language evolves, always has, always will.

Not by intelligent design; just mistakes becoming the majority.

Your language ELF is just what you were taught. What the kids in the past were taught was different, the kids in the future and it will be different again.

In what way.
Which words have changed since I was at school. If any, why?
I am not talking about new things or new words or even slang but words like 'phobia' not meaning what they actually do. It is a psychological condition.
It is because someone didn't know and used it wrongly. There is a proper prefix to denote hatred/dislike of something - misogyny is used frequently enough.

Nearly everything moves, changing, (sometimes) improving so why shouldn't language?

How is it an improvement to be unsure of what is actually meant?

Communication is the main point of language, so if kids move the meaning of a word and the word usage changes meaning but everyone understands then why is that a problem?

It's not. I am not talking about slang or code.

Who anyway decided what was the exact 'correct' meanings of words? How, for an example, did Samuel Johnson decide what was correct in spelling, and meaning when he wrote the dictionary? Did he get any wrong, I wonder.. and upset the ELF purists of the past! '-)

I don't know, but if he did that would that have been a mistake or the correct new definition?

Even if you disagree with me, you will draw the line when one such mistake crops up that you think to silly to be acceptable - or wouldn't you mind living in a political consitency or mixing dough to the correct constituency?

 

[sodthisforfun]

Not by intelligent design; just mistakes becoming the majority.


In what way.
Which words have changed since I was at school. If any, why?
I am not talking about new things or new words or even slang but words like 'phobia' not meaning what they actually do. It is a psychological condition.
It is because someone didn't know and used it wrongly. There is a proper prefix to denote hatred/dislike of something - misogyny is used frequently enough.

And this:
https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/dictionary-words-from-internet/
New words added to the dictionary that were slang words, or made up words. Now accepted as part of language.
Language evolves. You really can't stop it!


How is it an improvement to be unsure of what is actually meant?


It's not. I am not talking about slang or code.


I don't know, but if he did that would that have been a mistake or the correct new definition?

Even if you disagree with me, you will draw the line when one such mistake crops up that you think to silly to be acceptable - or wouldn't you mind living in a political consitency or mixing dough to the correct constituency?

I never said anything about since you were at school. But you might find this interesting:
https://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why is the bird Robin called Robin?

I don't know but that's irrelevant.

It isn't called a giraffe-eater because that's what someone thought worms were called?

 

[sodthisforfun]

I don't know but that's irrelevant.

It isn't called a giraffe-eater because that's what someone thought worms were called?

Why is it irrelevant?
It wasn't originally called a robin. It was changed later. It became a popular acceptance that the Robin was called a Robin. It's the same as any word, once it becomes the popular accepted meaning, it changes. This has happened throughout the history of language and will continue to do so.

Edited - interesting stuff EFL, cheers. Am off to bed!

 

[EFLImpudence]

But you might find this interesting:
https://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

Yes, I know about that - likely due to mistakes in the past for which it is too late - but what is a good reason to continue the process?

I did comment recently on someone saying "it was not terribly good" and discovered in the dictionary "terribly" is also defined as simply "very".
This is silly and likely came about because someone though it the opposite of "terribly bad" - the same as "awfully good" I suppose but what is the point of starting using words for their opposite meaning.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why is it irrelevant?

Well, to my arguments, it is. It is now just a name. It doesn't actually mean anything, does it?

It wasn't originally called a robin. It was changed later. It became a popular acceptance that the Robin was called a Robin. It's the same as any word, once it becomes the popular accepted meaning, it changes. This has happened throughout the history of language and will continue to do so.

Yes, I accept that, but it is not done on pupose, is it? Therefore it is done by accident or by mistake.
It is of no benefit to make words mean the opposite of what they really do so why not just educate those who use words like 'phobia' and 'semitism' incorrectly.

Edited - interesting stuff EFL, cheers. Am off to bed!

Well, I thinki so.