Noting attacks on our standard dictionaries

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Eoghan

Eoghan

Puritan Board Senior
I am interested in examples where the left (usually) has sought to load the language (Loaded language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Basically I want to have documented examples of where the vocabulary we share has been hijacked. One example I have in Scotland is where the definition of literature has been expanded to include - charts, maps, graphs and timetables, comics, games, labels, signs and posters. This allows them to change the teaching of english into "english and media studies" without any public debate.

Slut walks in the US are an example of trying to defuse the term "slut" but I can't help think their actions reinforce it.
 
If you mean in general language, the term liberal has been hijacked. Originally, the term meant "those who were for more freedom," but in the latter part of the nineteenth century Marxists hijacked the term in order to further their ideology.

If you mean in Christianity, the word "evangelical" is starting to become too elastic, which is one of the reasons the switch has been made by Reformed (and conservative Lutherans) to use the term "confessional" instead.
 
This is a very worthy topic. The left (or whatever term you use) has been very clever in how they use words to accomplish progress.

Hmm. Progress. Progressive. There is another word. Who could be against progress? :)
 
Scottish Lass said:
Gay used to mean happy.
Click to expand...

Still does, but it's use is so often connected to words related to the homosexual movement that people forget it has more than one meaning, just as people forget that all does not mean all and that's all all means.

Then again, people wouldn't choose to be gay if they weren't happy in that sin, so maybe the use of that word is more of a judgment upon them for that sin than a symbol of identification.
 
Dictionaries do not define words. If they did they would have no need to update them regularly. Words change naturally or sometimes new words and expressions just come in rapidly or a definition is added. Most of the examples I can think of are quite vulgar, so I will not the post them.
 
Thucydides, in 431 BC, observed it in Athens and wrote; ‘ To fit
in with the change of events [i.e. during crisis] words, too, had to
change their usual meanings. What used to be described as a thoughtless
act of aggression was now regarded as the courage one would expect to
find in a party member: to think of the future and wait was merely
another way of saying one was a coward; any idea of moderation was
just an attempt to disguise one’s unmanly character; ability to understand a question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action.’
 
Compare words like "marriage" in Webster's 1828 dictionary with modern dictionaries.

From the 1828 dictionary:

MAR'RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb 13
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Mat 22.
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev 19.

From Webster's online dictionary:

1. a (1)[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]:[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law [/FONT](2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage>
b : the mutual relation of married persons : wedlockc : the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage

2
: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status iseffected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities

3
: an intimate or close union <the marriage of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross>



And if we were to ask a non-Christian, it is likely they would claim the 1828 dictionary is "outdated" and "irrelevant". Of course an anti-Christian bias plays a major role in such opinions, because the 1828 dictionary does not separate God from the institution of marriage in it's definition.
 
POVERTY

Another one I am sure of is the definition of "poverty" this word has been mined for all it's emotive content and where it used to mean someone was basically starving and destitute it now means less than 40% of the mean annual income (uk).
"Fuel poverty" is when you spend more than 10% of your income on fuel bills (that's me by the way!)

This is the World Bank ‘s definition of poverty:

Poverty is an income level below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the “poverty line”. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values. But the content of the needs is more or less the same everywhere. Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

I find it incredible that those in poverty here in Wick will almost certainly have the full SKY TV package and a huge plasma TV. I have neither. Likewise in the US round about half of those in poverty have air conditioning - from outside the US this does seem wierd when compared with poverty in sub-saharan Africa.
 
POVERTY

Another one I am sure of is the definition of "poverty" this word has been mined for all it's emotive content and where it used to mean someone was basically starving and destitute it now means less than 40% of the mean annual income (uk).
"Fuel poverty" is when you spend more than 10% of your income on fuel bills (that's me by the way!)

This is the World Bank ‘s definition of poverty:

Poverty is an income level below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the “poverty line”. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values. But the content of the needs is more or less the same everywhere. Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

I find it incredible that those in poverty here in Wick will almost certainly have the full SKY TV package and a huge plasma TV. I have neither. Likewise in the US round about half of those in poverty have air conditioning - from outside the US this does seem wierd when compared with poverty in sub-saharan Africa.
 
Abraham Lincoln, former USA president, is reputed to have said, "God must have loved the poor people, he made so many of them." Reading the definition of marriage my mind went to two Scripture verses, one in Romans and the other in Ephesians. The Bible says 'And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do what ought not to be done', and from Ephesians,' according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience', This is what we, the remenent who would not bend the knee to Baal, are contending with.
 
Eoghan said:
Words do change naturally and slowly. What I am interested in is the twisting and deliberate changing of words. http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/pdfs/CREDguide_full-res.pdf is supposed to be a scholarly article on "communication" it does however overstep the boundaries in a couple of places In my humble opinion. Most importantly it is deliberate.
Click to expand...

In your climate change link, the section on "Framing" was particularly disturbing. This article seems to push those in this field to write and present their data in a manner designed to elicit a particular response in their readers / viewers. I just scanned it briefly, but did not note any commitment on the author's part to present the truth or to show both sides of the argument, but to put it in a package that will appeal to the intended audience and result in a change in the audience's thinking and actions.

Very Orwellian indeed.

While no specific examples of words that have been hijacked come to my mind immediately, I will be on the lookout for them!
 
"Tolerance" is a word that I have seen re-defined in common usage. I am a student at a secular university and have written numerous papers from a Christian worldview, and encountered objections from some, claiming Christians are intolerant.

The non-believing students I have encountered seem to think tolerance means allowing for the fact they or another point of view may be right. Unfortunately this is a direct attack on absolute truth. "Truths" that are mutually exclusive can not both be true. I have had to confront this in class and received much opposition for clarifying that tolerance does not acknowledge truth in other views, but tolerates the people who hold these views and respects that they have a different opinion. I think that at least some of the people I have shared this clarification with have filed it away for future thought, but most have outright rejected it and write off anything else I have to say because I am an "intolerant Christian".

"Coexist" is a closely related example. The definitions of these words are being blurred so that one who believes "tolerance" is a good thing now sees anyone they perceive to be "intolerant" (according to the morphed definition) as evil.

I believe the change in perception is a contributing factor to the declining popularity of Christians in the public square.
 
CuriousNdenver said:
"Tolerance" is a word that I have seen re-defined in common usage. I am a student at a secular university and have written numerous papers from a Christian worldview, and encountered objections from some, claiming Christians are intolerant.

The non-believing students I have encountered seem to think tolerance means allowing for the fact they or another point of view may be right. Unfortunately this is a direct attack on absolute truth. "Truths" that are mutually exclusive can not both be true. I have had to confront this in class and received much opposition for clarifying that tolerance does not acknowledge truth in other views, but tolerates the people who hold these views and respects that they have a different opinion. I think that at least some of the people I have shared this clarification with have filed it away for future thought, but most have outright rejected it and write off anything else I have to say because I am an "intolerant Christian".

"Coexist" is a closely related example. The definitions of these words are being blurred so that one who believes "tolerance" is a good thing now sees anyone they perceive to be "intolerant" (according to the morphed definition) as evil.

I believe the change in perception is a contributing factor to the declining popularity of Christians in the public square.
Click to expand...

If they're so tolerant, ask them why they are intolerant of intolerance.
 
Apologist4Him said:
If they're so tolerant, ask them why they are intolerant of intolerance.
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Because it only works one way, though they would never admit it. It seems a thinly veiled attack on Christian values disguised as social progress. From my vantage point, it appears that only Christianity has become unfashionable in the public square and on secular college campuses etc. Buddhism, New Age spirituality, Hinduism, Islam etc. are almost protected entities.

Today I realized that the word "Patriotism" (in the U.S.) is another that seems to be losing its flavor. It used to be held in high esteem, and today in many circles it is despised. Many who I come in contact with view it as symbolic of white, Protestant oppression rather than symbolic of freedom and democracy.

"I'm writing an Oratory Speech for debate on "The New Definition of American Patriotism" and I wanted to see what the inter-nets had to say about it." Aaron Sebright as seen at http://http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism

I am sure there are many more words that are changing in meaning in our society. Interesting topic; I will try to be more aware of these subtle changes.
 
I believe the words "hope" and "change" may have been loaded and redefined be the leftys, in the past 3.5 years.

Also- Edward: I thought that f****t was a bundle of sticks, if we are addressing the same word.
 
Dialogue in “Voices of Authority”, Season 3 episode 5, first broadcast 29th January 1996
SHERIDAN
Our version of the homeless. In some ways we have the same problems Earth does.
JULIE MUSANTE
(mouth full)
Earth doesn't have homeless.
SHERIDAN
Excuse me?
JULIE MUSANTE
We don't have the problem. Sure, there are a few... displaced people here and there, but they've chosen to be in that position. They're lazy, or criminal, or mentally unstable --
SHERIDAN
They can't get a job.
JULIE MUSANTE
Earthgov has promised a job for anyone who wants one. If someone doesn't have a job, it must be because they don't want one. Quid pro quo.
She says it with the air of a true believer, as though dropping some totally accepted fact. Sheridan is boggled.
SHERIDAN
And poverty?
JULIE MUSANTE
The same.
SHERIDAN
Crime?
JULIE MUSANTE
There's some, but it's all caused by the mentally unstable. We've just instituted correctional centers to filter them out at an early age.
SHERIDAN
Prejudice?
JULIE MUSANTE
We're just one happy planet. Well, except for the Marsies, but that won't change until they stop fighting Earth rule.
SHERIDAN
And when, exactly, did all this happen?
JULIE MUSANTE
When we rewrote the dictionary.
Captain, you're a good man. A fine soldier. A leader. You understand that before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.
 
Eoghan said:
Dialogue in “Voices of Authority”, Season 3 episode 5, first broadcast 29th January 1996

JULIE MUSANTE
You understand that before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.
Click to expand...

That one was fiction (OK, Good fiction, excellent even) this is Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asking Bureau of Labor Statistics Acting Commissioner (John Galvin) what actually constitutes a "Green Job".

http://furtheradventuresofindigored.../obama-redefines-everything-as-green-job.html (be sure and watch the video footage!)

Just remember folks ...before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.
 
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Rich Koster said:
OK- just checking if we were examining the same word.
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I was a bit surprised that perfectly good English words were censored by the software. If we want to reclaim our language, we can't be niggardly about properly using words. Indeed, I advocate for proper use of vulgarities (not as expletives, but in their proper sense).
 
"Human Rights" is now being rebranded to include sanctioning a homosexual lifestyle. The article linked below discusses Google's plan to "Legalize Love" worldwide. The article quotes a Google exec saying, "We want our employees who are gay or lesbian or transgender to have the same experience outside the office as they do in the office,".

http://http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/31255652/detail.html
 
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I was amused to learn that flammable was preferred to inflammable as "in" (incapable) suggests it cannot burn
 
The most overworked and corrupted word in the english language (probably)

DISCRIMINATION!

I read with incredulity the case of an employer who advertised for a "reliable" worker. (Advert for 'reliable workers' banned as discrimination by Jobcentre Plus - Telegraph)

The 'error 'in the job advert was asking for a reliable applicant. It seems that anti-discrimination legislation is being interpreted as not permitting discrimination against the lazy and unreliable. The Law does not back the Job Centre attitude but is the starting point for their "interpretation".

I fear that a lot of good laws will receive similar "interpretation" to the detriment of our freedom as Christians.
 
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