[thelist] OT (verbage)

Steve Maxey smaxey at bcr.com
Thu Aug 24 16:58:34 CDT 2000


At 10:51 AM 8/17/00 -0400, you wrote:

> > Which dictionary?
>
>the one in my house... Websters... check the archives for my post
>where i listed the 5 (or so) verb form definitions...

Just saying "Websters" doesn't tell us anything. There are several 
different dictionaries put out under the name "Websters" from different 
publishing houses and different lexicographers.

Besides which, a dictionary doesn't say anything how a word "should" be 
used. It merely records how it IS being used in the language during the 
period leading up to the dictionary's publication. All your dictionary 
tells us is that "impact" has been used as a synonym for "affect" with 
enough frequency that lexicographers felt this use should be recorded.

It's still a weasel word, and poor usage.






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