http://semantics-online.org/2005/08/finding-the-mountweazel A weblog on semantics, pragmatics, philosophy of language, and intersections thereof Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:20:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 http://semantics-online.org/2005/08/finding-the-mountweazel#comment-228 Peter Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:36:47 +0000 http://semantics-online.org/2005/08/finding-the-mountweazel#comment-228 <p>Of course, if enough people mistakenly use the fake word, then it becomes a genuine usage, and so therefore SHOULD be included in the dictionary. </p> Of course, if enough people mistakenly use the fake word, then it becomes a genuine usage, and so therefore SHOULD be included in the dictionary.

]]> http://semantics-online.org/2005/08/finding-the-mountweazel#comment-227 Tony Marmo Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:25:28 +0000 http://semantics-online.org/2005/08/finding-the-mountweazel#comment-227 <p>I think this is not fair at all, because we, dictionary users, are mislead to use words that do not exist. TV, Cinema and other mass media have already produced a great amount of misinformation. For instance, it is due to many awful comic movies, which depict Brazil as a Spanish speaking Country, that many people in the US and Europe think Spanish is the language of Brazil. I could also mention lots of misconceptions about Germany and Germans that the mass media spread. One manner to solve the problem consists of checking the (mis-)information with reliable sources. So far, encyclopaedias and dictionaries have been used to settle such matters. If they include fake entries they cause harm <b>not only</b> to plagiarist but the whole public.</p> I think this is not fair at all, because we, dictionary users, are mislead to use words that do not exist. TV, Cinema and other mass media have already produced a great amount of misinformation. For instance, it is due to many awful comic movies, which depict Brazil as a Spanish speaking Country, that many people in the US and Europe think Spanish is the language of Brazil. I could also mention lots of misconceptions about Germany and Germans that the mass media spread. One manner to solve the problem consists of checking the (mis-)information with reliable sources. So far, encyclopaedias and dictionaries have been used to settle such matters. If they include fake entries they cause harm not only to plagiarist but the whole public.

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