It isn’t only misuse. Sick now means very nice. That didn’t happen because people didn’t understand the meaning of the word sick. Language just changes, and dictionaries acknowledge common use.
Yes, in this case it probably came from generations of people not understanding the difference between a cow and a bull. And most people only see cows irl, not a lot of places have fields full of bulls. I was pretty much raised understanding that “cow” was both a general term and a specific term. No one uses the term bovine in real speech.
Yeah that’s the “kinda” part, sometimes for sure that happens, but that’s different than say something like “literally now means figuratively due to people misusing it” doesn’t mean it’s actually correct even if a dictionary were to adopt it.
Furthermore I believe words don’t have to be in the dictionary to be “correct,” imo embiggen is a perfectly cromulent word whether or not some people who compile a book agree. I just don’t think that “many being incorrect” deserves to be a reason words change to new meanings necessarily, maybe sometimes, but sometimes also “no they’re just wrong.”
Bovine is more scientific, I can’t say that I’ve heard it in regular speech myself, but 'round here people usually say cow, steer, or bull depending on which it is.
I think this is one of those “so many people use it wrong it’s now ‘right’” situations, but yeah people definitely do often use it wrong like that.
It once was wrong. When it becomes one of the definitions, it’s no longer wrong. That’s how language works.
Ehhh, kinda. If enough people call a duck a chicken for dictionary.com to add
That doesn’t mean ducks are now chickens, it just means so many people were incorrect it had to be noted.
It isn’t only misuse. Sick now means very nice. That didn’t happen because people didn’t understand the meaning of the word sick. Language just changes, and dictionaries acknowledge common use.
Yes, in this case it probably came from generations of people not understanding the difference between a cow and a bull. And most people only see cows irl, not a lot of places have fields full of bulls. I was pretty much raised understanding that “cow” was both a general term and a specific term. No one uses the term bovine in real speech.
Yeah that’s the “kinda” part, sometimes for sure that happens, but that’s different than say something like “literally now means figuratively due to people misusing it” doesn’t mean it’s actually correct even if a dictionary were to adopt it.
Furthermore I believe words don’t have to be in the dictionary to be “correct,” imo embiggen is a perfectly cromulent word whether or not some people who compile a book agree. I just don’t think that “many being incorrect” deserves to be a reason words change to new meanings necessarily, maybe sometimes, but sometimes also “no they’re just wrong.”
Bovine is more scientific, I can’t say that I’ve heard it in regular speech myself, but 'round here people usually say cow, steer, or bull depending on which it is.