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<div id="app"><div class="Layout" data-v-105848cf data-v-5d98c3a5><!--[--><!--[--><!--]--><!----><!--]--><!--[--><span tabindex="-1" data-v-0f60ec36></span><a href="#VPContent" class="VPSkipLink visually-hidden" data-v-0f60ec36> Skip to content </a><!--]--><!----><header class="VPNav" data-v-5d98c3a5 data-v-ae24b3ad><div class="VPNavBar has-sidebar top" data-v-ae24b3ad data-v-ccf7ddec><div class="wrapper" data-v-ccf7ddec><div class="container" data-v-ccf7ddec><div class="title" data-v-ccf7ddec><div class="VPNavBarTitle has-sidebar" data-v-ccf7ddec data-v-ab179fa1><a class="title" href="/" data-v-ab179fa1><!--[--><!--]--><!----><span data-v-ab179fa1>The Paper Pilot</span><!--[--><!--]--></a></div></div><div class="content" data-v-ccf7ddec><div class="content-body" data-v-ccf7ddec><!--[--><!--]--><div class="VPNavBarSearch search" data-v-ccf7ddec><!--[--><!----><div id="local-search"><button type="button" class="DocSearch DocSearch-Button" aria-label="Search"><span class="DocSearch-Button-Container"><span class="vp-icon DocSearch-Search-Icon"></span><span class="DocSearch-Button-Placeholder">Search</span></span><span class="DocSearch-Button-Keys"><kbd class="DocSearch-Button-Key"></kbd><kbd class="DocSearch-Button-Key">K</kbd></span></button></div><!--]--></div><nav aria-labelledby="main-nav-aria-label" class="VPNavBarMenu menu" data-v-ccf7ddec data-v-7f418b0f><span id="main-nav-aria-label" class="visually-hidden" data-v-7f418b0f>Main Navigation</span><!--[--><!--[--><a class="VPLink link vp-external-link-icon VPNavBarMenuLink" href="https://moddingtree.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" tabindex="0" data-v-7f418b0f data-v-9c663999><!--[--><span data-v-9c663999>Profectus</span><!--]--></a><!--]--><!--[--><a class="VPLink link vp-external-link-icon VPNavBarMenuLink" href="https://incremental.social" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" tabindex="0" data-v-7f418b0f data-v-9c663999><!--[--><span data-v-9c663999>Incremental Social</span><!--]--></a><!--]--><!--]--></nav><!----><!----><div class="VPSocialLinks VPNavBarSocialLinks social-links" data-v-ccf7ddec data-v-0394ad82 data-v-7bc22406><!--[--><a class="VPSocialLink no-icon" href="https://code.incremental.social/thepaperpilot" aria-label target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-v-7bc22406 data-v-eee4e7cb><svg role="img" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Forgejo</title><path d="M16.7773 0c1.6018 0 2.9004 1.2986 2.9004 2.9005s-1.2986 2.9004-2.9004 2.9004c-1.0854 0-2.0315-.596-2.5288-1.4787H12.91c-2.3322 0-4.2272 1.8718-4.2649 4.195l-.0007 2.1175a7.0759 7.0759 0 0 1 4.148-1.4205l.1176-.001 1.3385.0002c.4973-.8827 1.4434-1.4788 2.5288-1.4788 1.6018 0 2.9004 1.2986 2.9004 2.9005s-1.2986 2.9004-2.9004 2.9004c-1.0854 0-2.0315-.596-2.5288-1.4787H12.91c-2.3322 0-4.2272 1.8718-4.2649 4.195l-.0007 2.319c.8827.4973 1.4788 1.4434 1.4788 2.5287 0 1.602-1.2986 2.9005-2.9005 2.9005-1.6018 0-2.9004-1.2986-2.9004-2.9005 0-1.0853.596-2.0314 1.4788-2.5287l-.0002-9.9831c0-3.887 3.1195-7.0453 6.9915-7.108l.1176-.001h1.3385C14.7458.5962 15.692 0 16.7773 0ZM7.2227 19.9052c-.6596 0-1.1943.5347-1.1943 1.1943s.5347 1.1943 1.1943 1.1943 1.1944-.5347 1.1944-1.1943-.5348-1.1943-1.1944-1.1943Zm9.5546-10.4644c-.6596 0-1.1944.5347-1.1944 1.1943s.5348 1.1943 1.1944 1.1943c.6596 0 1.1943-.5347 1.1943-1.1943s-.5347-1.1943-1.1943-1.1943Zm0-7.7346c-.6596 0-1.1944.5347-1.1944 1.1943s.5348 1.1943 1.1944 1.1943c.6596 0 1.1943-.5347 1.1943-1.1943s-.5347-1.1943-1.1943-1.1943Z"/></svg></a><a class="VPSocialLink no-icon" href="https://matrix.to/#/@thepaperpilot:incremental.social" aria-label target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-v-7bc22406 data-v-eee4e7cb><svg role="img" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Matrix</title><path d="M.632.55v22.9H2.28V24H0V0h2.28v.55zm7.043 7.26v1.157h.033c.309-.443.683-.784 1.117-1.024.433-.245.936-.365 1.5-.365.54 0 1.033.107 1.481.314.448.208.785.582 1.02 1.108.254-.374.6-.706 1.034-.992.434-.287.95-.43 1.546-.43.453 0 .872.056 1.26.167.388.11.716.286.993.53.276.245.489.559.646.951.152.392.23.863.23 1.417v5.728h-2.349V11.52c0-.286-.01
.</span></p><hr><details><summary>Referenced by:</summary><a href="/garden/social-constructs/index.md">Social Constructs</a></details><p>These two terms refer to how words are defined. Prescriptivism is where definitions are written by an authority of some sort and users of the language are supposed to respect that definition, or else they are incorrect. Prescriptivism defines a truth, a boundary on what is allowed. Descriptivism, on the other hand, argues definitions should be based on how the word is currently being used. Someone using it differently is not wrong, they&#39;re just part of the normal process through which definitions can change. Descriptivism, therefore, does not define an objective truth. A notable example of this dichotomy is the definition of &quot;literally&quot;. It <em>was</em> defined as meaning something that is to be taken at face value, but dictionaries have found <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/misuse-of-literally" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">justification</a> for it having a second, near opposite, definition.</p><p>I&#39;m fairly against prescriptivism, but acknowledge the argument that words are more useful when their definitions don&#39;t change underneath you, especially in cases where the word can now ambiguously refer to the opposite of one of its other definitions. However, the cultural change in definitions happens regardless, so I think it&#39;s important to be able to analyze how words are being used and decide if and when it makes sense to update those definitions. I feel the same way about all <a href="/garden/social-constructs/">Social Constructs</a> , which language is just one of.</p><p>Dictionaries take a stance in between the two extremes - both becoming an authoritative (and therefore prescriptive) source of definitions, but updating them as deemed necessary to more closely match their real-world uses.</p></div></div></main><!----><!--[--><!--]--></div></div></div><!--[--><!--]--></div></div><!----><!--[--><footer class="vp-doc" data-v-105848cf><div data-v-105848cf>CC 2024 <a class="h-card" rel="me" href="/about" data-v-105848cf><img src="/me.jpg" alt="" data-v-105848cf>The Paper Pilot</a>. <a rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" data-v-105848cf>CC BY-NC-SA 4.0</a>.</div><div data-v-105848cf>Any and all opinions listed here are my own and not representative of my employers; future, past and present.</div><div data-v-105848cf><a href="https://resume.incremental.social/thepaperpilot/thepaperpilot" data-v-105848cf>Resume</a> (not actively seeking new opportunities).</div><div data-v-105848cf>Site built from <a href="https://code.incremental.social/thepaperpilot/pages/commit/cec440f3f7b38fff1838832cc042bd77558ba624" data-v-105848cf>this commit</a> on <time data-v-105848cf>Saturday, November 09, 2024 at 07:25:28</time>. <a href="https://www.thepaperpilot.org/licenses.txt" data-v-105848cf>Legal disclaimers</a>.</div></footer><!--]--></div></div>
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