You could argue shit like “unalive” and “ahh” is actually prescriptivism since it was indirectly forced onto people because of social media soft censorship, nobody actually wanted to use those words, they just had to come up with something.
Even if you invent an imaginary authority foisting those words down. Once people use them, acknowledging their use as ‘legitimate’ is the definition of descriptivist.
The only way to oppose such words is to be prescriptive, the correct position.
That’s the same way a lot of words were developed though. Like the word “fence” to mean someone who buys stolen goods came about due to thieves’ cant, a bunch of words used by thieves and beggars to confuse medieval cops. I think it’s better to say words can adapt to situations rather than saying it’s being forced. A ton of words that were underground slang are now just normal words.
You could argue shit like “unalive” and “ahh” is actually prescriptivism since it was indirectly forced onto people because of social media soft censorship, nobody actually wanted to use those words, they just had to come up with something.
is “ahh” code for the same, death?seeing below that it’s code for assEven if you invent an imaginary authority foisting those words down. Once people use them, acknowledging their use as ‘legitimate’ is the definition of descriptivist.
The only way to oppose such words is to be prescriptive, the correct position.
That’s the same way a lot of words were developed though. Like the word “fence” to mean someone who buys stolen goods came about due to thieves’ cant, a bunch of words used by thieves and beggars to confuse medieval cops. I think it’s better to say words can adapt to situations rather than saying it’s being forced. A ton of words that were underground slang are now just normal words.