From: MATTHEW PAUL KUNDERT (mpkundert@students.wisc.edu)
Date: Tue Sep 16 2003 - 20:26:26 BST
Matt said:
So, when I say "flexible" I mean that I don't think the dictionary somehow gets a word correct. (Hell, the dictionary doesn't even think it gets words correct, otherwise why would there be more then one entry per word?) Mutual understanding involves people getting together and agreeing on definitions of words, or translations of words, or whatever.
DMB said:
Yes, words can have more than one meaning. That doesn't mean the dictionary is incorrect.
Matt:
DMB is finally getting it. Definitions in the dictionary have nothing to do with correctness or incorrectness (unless you are in a spelling bee, which I didn't think we were). They have everything to do with agreement and use. How do you get a new meaning of a word or a new word into the dictionary? Ala Wittgenstein, you use it.
Matt
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